Boko Haram Leader Jailed for Kano Massacres After Two Decades

Judge Emeka Nwite found Mr. Isma'il guilty on all four charges brought by the federal government. The Federal High Court in Abuja has ha...

Judge Emeka Nwite found Mr. Isma'il guilty on all four charges brought by the federal government.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has handed down a 20-year prison sentence to Hussaini Isma'il, a key figure in Boko Haram, who is associated with violent incidents in Kano State during the 2010s.

The prosecution stated that, prior to his arrest in August 2017, Mr. Isma'il, also referred to as Mai Tangaran, had been organizing and taking part in multiple terrorist attacks in Kano State for many years, during the period when Boko Haram's severe influence was affecting the state and other regions of northern Nigeria.

Judge Emeka Nwite found Mr. Isma'il guilty on all four charges brought by the federal government.

The Nigerian News Agency (NAN) states that the judge announced its ruling on Tuesday.

Mr. Nwite imposed a 15-year prison term for count one and 20 years for each of counts two, three, and four.

The judge, however, ruled that the prison sentences will be served at the same time, starting from the date of his arrest on 31 August 2017.

This implies he will serve a total of 20 years in prison. It would have amounted to 75 years in total if the court had ordered the sentences to be served one after another.

The convict must serve the term at any suitable correctional institution selected by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service in collaboration with the state.

"It is my directive that, upon completion of his prison sentence, the offender must undergo rehabilitation and de-radicalization at any suitable Rehabilitation and Deradicalization Center operated or permitted by the federal government or a state government, or through any other method chosen by the federal or state authorities prior to his release into society," ruled Mr. Nwite.

The prisoner altered his long-standing not-guilty plea to guilty for all four charges on Tuesday.

The significant shift occurred after the case had remained in court for many years and following extensive video evidence presented in open court during the previous session.

NAN states that the case, which had previously been handled by retired judge Anwuli Chikere, has now been transferred to Mr. Nwite.

The case faced postponements due to appeals and a separate trial, among other matters, to determine whether the defendant's out-of-court statements were made voluntarily.

When the trial finally began, the prosecution presented five witnesses, among them two officials from the State Security Service (SSS) and two individuals who saw parts of the attacks associated with the defendant.

Mr. Isma'il, who initially denied the charges during his earlier court appearance, entered a guilty plea following the testimony of the fifth witness from the prosecution.

Footage showing Mr. Isma'il speaking to and instructing members of his extremist group about the attack was shown in public court, leading to his change of heart.

Several locations were attacked as part of his 2014 operations, including the Police Headquarters in Bompai; the Mobile Police Base on Kabuga Road; the Pharm Centre Police Station; and the Angwa Uku Police Station.

The prosecution also claimed he was involved in the 2016 assault on Kano Central Mosque, resulting in the loss of numerous innocent lives.

Numerous individuals are said to have been killed and injured in the assaults under extensive circumstances

Sahara Reporters stated that SSS agents detained him on August 31, 2017, in Tsamiyya Babba Village, located within the Gezewa Local Government Area of Kano State.

Plea for mercy

Later, the defendant's attorney, P. B. Onijah from the Legal Aid Council (LAC), requested the court to show mercy towards the defendant.

Mr. Onijah stated that the prisoner showed regret, which led to his change in plea to prevent unnecessary use of court time and expressed remorse for being associated with terrorism.

Mr. Nwite, in the ruling, determined Mr. Isma'il to be guilty of the offenses alleged.

The updated charge was submitted on October 3, 2023, by E. Aguda, the prosecutor from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federal and Ministry of Justice.

In the first count, Isma'il, a 34-year-old resident of Briti village, located in the Biu Local Government Area of Borno state, is accused of having, at some point in August 2018, claimed to be a member of Boko Haram, a terrorist organization in Nigeria.

The violation was alleged to be in breach of Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013, and subject to penalties outlined in the same section of the legislation.

During count two, the prisoner was charged with directly involvement in a terrorist act by conducting an attack at Kano Central Mosque in Kano during 2016.

It was reported that he created a video message featuring himself and his fellow gang members, who are still at large, admitting to the attack at Kano Central Mosque, which resulted in the loss of many innocent lives.

The offense was alleged to violate Section 1(2)(a)(e) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013, and is subject to punishment under the same section of the legislation.

Three accused him of being involved in a terrorist act at some point in 2014, when he carried out an attack on the Mobile Police Base located on Kabuga Road in Kano State, resulting in the death of several police officers.

During the fourth count, it was alleged that he, on occasion in 2014, directly engaged in an act of terrorism by carrying out an attack on the Ungwa Uku Police Station in Kano State, resulting in the death of some police officers.

The alleged offenses were claimed to violate Section 1(2)(a)(e) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013, and are subject to punishment under the same section of the legislation.

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