A remorseless commander of Boko Haram terrorist organisation has been slammed 60 years imprisonment.

Abba Umar, the convict was sentenced for acts of terrorism by a federal high court, sitting in Kainji, Niger State.

He was arrested after a failed suicide mission in Gombe in 2014. He confirmed in court on Tuesday (13/2/2018) that the pictures presented by the prosecution as exhibits showing him and the IEDs used for the failed operation were authentic.

Umar who was remorseless, told the court that if he was ever released he would continue acts of terrorism in Sambisa forest while disclosing that he had over a hundred lieutenants under him.

While testifying, the convict who said he married two wives in Sambisa Forest after joining the sect, described himself as “an Islamic warrior, and a commander in the Islamic army”.

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 go back to the activities which constitute danger to the society and for which he was apprehended.”

Headlineng