Four persons out of the six suspected terrorists standing trial before a Federal High Court siting in Abuja and resided by Justice Bilkisu Aliyu, were on Tuesday jailed for life.
One of the suspects however bagged a ten year jail term while the other was discharged and acquitted.
The six were arraigned on a five-count charge in 2011 charged with the April 8, 2011 bombing of the Independent National Electoral Commission. INEC, office in Suleja, Niger State, where 16 died and others injured.
They were also charged with the July 10, 2011 explosions at the All Christians Fellowship church in Suleja, killing three and injuring others; the March 3, 2011 explosion at a political rally in Suleja, where three people died; and the May 23, 2011 explosion in Dakwa Village, Bwari, Abuja, killing three policemen.
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They were equally charged with engaging in illegal training in weapon handling and unlawful possession of weapon for the purpose of engaging in terrorism.
They were charged under Section 15(2) and (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) Act.
At the trial, a prosecution witness whose name was not revealed for security reasons, told the court that about 200 explosive devices were retrieved from the accused persons at the time of their arrest and that a single one of the devices could pull
down an entire building if triggered.
While being cross examined by defense counsel, Mr. Kevin Emeka Okoro, the
witness denied planting incriminating pictures in the mobile phones which were retrieved from the accused persons.
The accused persons who bagged life sentence are Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana and Mohammed Ali. Umar Ibrahim got ten years jail term while Musa Adamu was discharged and acquitted of the five counts charge of terrorism.
While delivering the judgment, Justice Bilikisu Aliyu discharged the convicts on the charges relating to the explosions at the All Christians Fellowship and the killing of policemen in Dakwa on the ground that the prosecution failed to provide convincing evidence to support the charge.
In relation to the other charges the judge held that the prosecution led sufficient evidence to prove the guilt of the convicts but freed Adam on the ground that the prosecution failed to link him with the offences.
In relation to the four suspects sentenced to life, Justice Aliyu noted that they “used explosives meant for blasting rocks for mining purposes, to kill human being who had done nothing against them.
“Human life is sacred. There is no human life that is more sacred than the other. The convicts have shown lack of respect for human life. They deserve to be removed from the society,” the judge held before pronouncing the sentence.
In respect of Umar Ibrahim, who got ten years, the judge observed that by the evidence led by the prosecution, he merely served as errand boy for others, who engaged in the illegal weapon training but held that Ibrahim was culpable for aiding the illegal trainees as he could have refused to run errand for them if he was not in support of their activities.
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