The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a former senatorial candidate, Babagana Habeeb, to 10 years imprisonment for providing support to the террорист group Boko Haram.
Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu found Habeeb guilty of aiding terrorism by supplying fuel to members of the group.
Although the defendant admitted that insurgents obtained petrol from his filling station in Maiduguri, he argued that the sales were carried out by his staff without his direct involvement.
During sentencing, Habeeb pleaded for leniency, citing his family responsibilities and revealing that he had spent over a decade in detention without contact with his relatives.
However, the prosecution maintained that the fuel supplied played a crucial role in sustaining terrorist operations, including attacks that resulted in deaths and destruction.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu stated that while there was no proof that Habeeb was a member of Boko Haram or had undergone weapons training, providing logistical support such as fuel still constitutes a serious offence under terrorism laws.
The court ordered that the 10-year sentence take effect from the date of his arrest, highlighting the importance of cutting off all forms of support that enable insurgent activities.
