Appeal court affirms 25 years jail term for Boko Haram convicts

The Court of Appeal in Lagos on Friday affirmed

the judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos

convicting and sentencing three members of the

dreaded terror group, Boko Haram to 25 years

imprisonment each.

The Appeal Court, in a judgment delivered by

Justice Y.B Nimpar, rejected the appeal filed by

the convicts and upheld the judgment of the

court below.

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court

in Lagos, had on September 30, 2014, handed

down the verdict after the Lagos State

Government, through the Ministry of Justice,

successfully prosecuted the terrorists before

the court.

The State Government had filed charges against

four accused persons for conspiracy to commit a

felony to wit: acts of terrorism, concealing

information about acts of terrorism and having

possession of prohibited firearms and

ammunition contrary to various sections of the

Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013 and

the Firearms Act, Cap F.28 Laws of the

Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Out of the four persons charged, three were

sentenced to 25 years imprisonment each, while

the fourth accused was discharged and

acquitted.

Those convicted and sentenced are Ali Mohammed

Modu, Adamu Ali Karumi and Ibrahim Usman Ali.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, the convicts

through their lawyer, had approached the Appeal

Court in Lagos asking that the verdict be

upturned on the grounds that they were charged

under inapplicable laws, and that the 25 years

terms of imprisonment were excessive.

One of the convicts, Ibrahim Usman Ali, had

specifically argued that he was inadvertently

convicted and sentenced for a count with which

he was not charged.

While the Court of Appeal agreed that one of

the convicts was wrongly convicted under a

count with which he was not charged, the Court

however affirmed the judgment of Justice Buba

which convicted and sentenced the three

terrorists to 25 years imprisonment each.

SIGNED

BOLA AKINGBADE

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

LAGOS STATE