Self confessed Boko Haram terrorist, Abubakar Goni jailed for 30 years

Abubakar Goni, a self-confessed member of the terrorist organization Boko Haram, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The verdict was delivered by Justice Binta Nyako following Goni's admission to knowingly joining the proscribed terrorist group over 15 years ago. The case against him, which included five counts of membership, training in the use of an AK-47, launching terror attacks against civilians, and looting food supplies for Boko Haram members, was brought forth by the Federal Government.

Upon being presented with the charges, Goni confessed to being a member of Boko Haram but denied the other accusations. Justice Nyako invoked Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2013, to hand down the 30-year sentence. Goni's lawyer, Dauda Hassan, had argued for a more lenient sentence, citing his client's first-time offense and the fact that he had confessed to the crime voluntarily without delaying the court proceedings.

Taking into account Goni's confession and his status as a first-time offender, Justice Nyako ordered that the 30-year sentence should begin from 2016 when Goni was apprehended by the Department of State Services (DSS) and placed under detention. Furthermore, the judge instructed the Federal Ministry of Interior to decide the prison in which Goni would serve his sentence.