… government not taking issues of terrorism with levity, says Fagbemi
The Attorney General of Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN , said on Monday that the present administration is not taking the issues of terrorism with levity.
The federal government “message on this issue is very clear, direct and straight forward that the present administration is seriously fighting terrorism, that is why there have being ongoing trials of terrorists and those assisting them.”
He said that everybody should have known this fact and should by now know that terrorism in whatever form or shape is not tolerated or condone by the government.
Fagbemi SAN gave the warning on Monday as he brought 600 suspected terrorists charged with terrorism related offences to Federal High Court Abuja for trial.
He explained that not less than 490 terrorists shared into ten groups are scheduled to appear before ten judges of the Court on Monday while the other terrorists will be brought to court on Tuesday.
He said the judges have assured that they will handle only terrorism related cases during the four days, from Monday to Thursday this week allocated for their trials.
The Court proceedings on Monday was held across multiple courtrooms under heavy security. Armed troops and other security personnel blocked roads around the Central Business District and prevented entrance to the federal high court premises.
Meanwhile, Justice Emeka Nwite has convicted and sentenced one of the terrorists, Bello Liman (Aka Alhaji Bello doctor) to a total of 30 years imprisonment on the two count charges preferred against him by the federal government.
According to the charges, Bello Liman, sometime in 2020 in Zamfara state is accused of concealing information which he knew will be of material assistance in securing the apprehension of Usman Sani Kachalla, a leader of terrorists, bandits in Nigeria.
That, he failed to disclose such information to any law enforcement or security officer, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act 2013 and punishable under the same section.
He was accused in count two of rendering support to terrorists in Nigeria by serving as an illegal doctor to Usman Sani Kachalla, who is a leader of terrorists.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the two-count charge and the trial Judge convicted him as charged and sentenced him to ten years imprisonment in count one and 20 years imprisonment in count two.
According to Justice Nwite, the sentence shall commence from the date of his arrest on March 20, 2020 and shall run concurrently. “The term shall be spent by the convict at any correctional service working with the states, that at the end of the prison term, the convict shall be rehabilitated and deradicalized and rehabilitated.
In related development, another judge of the court, Justice Binta Nyako on Monday, convicted and sentenced a 55-year-old farmer in Borno State, Ali Mustapha to 15 years imprisonment for concealing information on the activities of the Boko Haram sect in his Katara village.
The farmer who had been in custody since 2013 was one of the terrorism suspects arraigned on Monday by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
After the suspect pleaded guilty to the terrorism related charge preferred against him by the federal government, the trial judge, Justice Nyako accordingly convicted and sentenced him to 15 years in prison, without option of fine.
The judge said she took judicial notice of the plea of the convict that there was no government officials or security agencies to report to – as he lives in an obscure and remote village in Borno State.
Justice Nyako ordered that the 15 years jail term should commence from 2013 when the convict was arrested and kept into detention.