Court jails 113 Boko Haram members, wife

AFederal High Court sitting at the Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, Niger State has sentenced 113 Boko Haram members to jail over their involvement in terrorism.

According to sources in the Ministry of Justice, who were in Kainji, the suspects were found guilty on charges of membership of the proscribed Boko Haram group, concealing information vital to security agencies, providing support to the sect, participating in acts of terrorism, which resulted in the deaths of many persons.

One of the suspects, Kabiru Mohammed from Kaban-Magadan, in Funtua, Katsina State was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for receiving training in the use of explosive and other terrorism items for attacks in Bama, Konduga, Baga in Borno State and Damaturu in Yobe State, which caused deaths of people.

Also sentenced to four years imprisonment is Zainab Idris, wife of Boko Haram commander, Babawo Idris.

Zainab was arrested in 2014 with her two children, while on her way to join her husband in Sambisa forest.

Her husband, popularly known as Idoko or Nagada was number 156 on the military’s wanted list before his arrest last September.

The court however held that since she had been held in custody since 2014, she should be taken to the rehabilitation centre for de-radicalisation and skills training.

On the case of a notorious member of the sect, Mohammed Zakariya, also known as ‘Butcher’, who is said to be mentally sick, the court ordered that he should be taken to a psychiatric centre for treatment, while his arraignment was fixed for November 14.

A total of 111 persons were either discharged, acquitted or had their cases struck out for lack of evidence to support the charges, while 9 others were adjourned to Abuja.