22-year-old Boko Haram commander gets 60-year imprisonment

The federal high court, Kainji, Niger state, has sentenced Abba Umar, a commander of the Boko Haram sect, to 60 years imprisonment for acts of terrorism.

He was arraigned by the government on a five-count charge.

At the court on Tuesday, Umar who was arrested after a failed suicide mission in Gombe in 2014, confirmed that the pictures presented by the prosecution as exhibits showing him and the IEDs used for the failed operation, were
authentic.

The commander, who did not show remorse, told the court that if he was ever released he would continue acts of terrorism in Sambisa forest.

He also disclosed that he had over a hundred lieutenants under him.

Delivering judgement, the judge imposed lesser sentence on Umar.

Two of the five counts against Umar had death sentences but the judge explained that he reduced it because he must have been exposed to religious indoctrination which made him the way he is.

“For count 3, I sentence him to 60 years imprisonment,” the judge ruled.

“I would have been more merciful but was rather dissuaded by the convict’s insistence that he would back the activities which constitute danger to the society and for which he was apprehended.”