A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Hussaini Ismaila, also known as “Mai Tangaran”, a leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), to 20 years in prison for his role in a string of violent terrorist attacks that rocked Kano State in 2012.
Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence on Tuesday after Ismaila changed his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty” on all four counts of terrorism. The prosecution, led by the Department of State Services (DSS), revealed that Ismaila was the mastermind behind coordinated terror strikes targeting critical security installations, including the Police Headquarters in Bompai, the Mobile Police Base on Kabuga Road, Pharm Centre Police Station, and Angwa Uku Police Station. Numerous individuals were injured as panic gripped the city during those attacks.
Ismaila was apprehended on August 31st, 2017, at Tsamiyya Babba Village in Gezewa Local Government Area, Kano State. His subsequent arraignment was based on a four-count charge brought pursuant to the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013. The case saw protracted delays due to multiple appeals and a “trial-within-trial” to determine the voluntariness of statements made by the defendant.
During the trial, five witnesses were called by the prosecution, including two DSS officers and two individuals who witnessed the attacks. After the fifth witness testified, Ismaila startled the courtroom by changing his plea. His counsel from the Legal Aid Council, P. B. Onijah, pleaded for leniency, saying, “The defendant is remorseful and changed his plea to avoid wasting the court’s time. He regrets being involved in terrorism.”
In his judgment, Justice Nwite found Ismaila guilty on all counts. “The defendant is hereby sentenced to fifteen years on count one and twenty years each on counts two, three, and four. The sentences are to run concurrently, starting from the date of arrest on August 31st, 2017,” the judge pronounced.
The judge further ordered: “The Controller-General of the Correctional Service shall confine the convict in any prison of their choosing for the purpose of serving the sentence. Additionally, upon completion of his term, Hussaini Ismaila must undergo rehabilitation and deradicalization before rejoining society.”
Ismaila’s conviction and sentencing are seen as a milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing campaign against terrorism, demonstrating the resolve of the country’s judiciary and security agencies to hold offenders accountable for disturbing acts of violence carried out in the nation’s name.
