Top Nigerian Politician to Spend 10 Years In Jail For Aiding Boko Haram

Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a former senatorial candidate, Babagana Habeeb, to 10 years imprisonment for providing material support to Boko Haram insurgents.

Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu found the defendant guilty of aiding and abetting terrorism through the supply of fuel to members of the extremist group, Boko Haram.

Habeeb, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, had admitted during trial that insurgents obtained petrol from his filling station, but maintained that the transactions were conducted by his attendants without his direct involvement.

In his plea for leniency, the defendant told the court that he has two wives and six children, adding that he had spent over a decade in detention without contact with his family.

The prosecution, however, argued that the fuel supplied by the defendant played a significant role in sustaining terrorist activities, including attacks that led to loss of lives and destruction of property.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu noted that there was no evidence to show that Habeeb was a member of Boko Haram or had received weapons training.

Nonetheless, the court held that providing fuel to the group constituted material support, which is punishable under terrorism-related laws.

The court subsequently sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment, with the term to run from the date of his arrest.

Legal observers note that the judgment underscores the critical role of logistical support in sustaining insurgent operations, even in the absence of direct participation in armed conflict.