Terrorist who participated in killing of civilians, soldiers sentenced to death

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced a Boko Haram terrorist who participated in the killing of civilians and soldiers, Auwalu Samaila, to death by hanging. 

Justice James Omotosho convicted and sentenced him to death after he pleaded guilty to the six counts preferred against him.

Omotosho held: “It is when somebody is remorseful and seeks forgiveness with God that he can have mercy from him. 

“The convict before me is not remorseful despite a lot of atrocities and lives that had gone from his hand. 

“May God have mercy on his soul.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government in the charge, marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/122/2026, sued Samaila for terrorism-related offences as sole defendant. 

In count one, the defendant, who hails from Gulak Village, Madagali Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa State, was alleged to have between 2012 and 2017 in Sabongari Kyambula Village, Gulak LGA of the state, professed to be a member of Boko Haram, a proscribed terrorist organisation. 

In counts two and three, he was alleged to have agreed to receiving training on terrorist activities from one Sadiqu Adamu (Kare-kare), a Boko Haram member, and a training in weapon handling with AK47 in preparation to commit an act of terrorism under the leadership of Yabana in Izza Boko Haram Camp.

Samaila, in count four, was accused of participating in attack at Damboa, Borno State between 2012 and 2017, where civilians and military personnel were killed. 

He was also alleged to have participated in the attack at Gombi in Adamawa State, where scores of civilian populace were killed. 

The convict was equally accused to have taken part in the terror attack at Hong in Adamawa State, “where civilian populace were killed”.

The offence, the prosecution said, was contrary to Section 1(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention Amendment) Act, 2013 and punishable under the same section of the Act. 

Samaila pleaded guilty to the six counts when they were read to him. 

The prosecution, led by Jemila Ade, Deputy Director, Public Prosecutions in the Ministry of Justice, tendered Samaila’s confessional statement and was admitted in evidence and marked as exhibit. 

In his confessional statement, Samaila stated that he was used to convey female suicide bombers to targetted locations. 

According to him: “The first suicide bomber I conveyed was Halima. 

“I took her to Muna Garage in Maiduguri.”

He also stated that he participated in attacks in Mubi, Chibok, Damaturu, Michika, and Gulak among others. 

Samaila said it was the Konduga operation where the group fought with the military that led to the amputation of his left leg.

According to him: “I was treated by medical team in Farisu when I got this injury, which led to the cutting of my leg.”

Delivering the judgment, the judge sentenced Samaila to death by hanging on counts four, five, and six. 

He also committed the convict to 25 years jail term in each of counts one and two, while for count three, he bagged 30 years imprisonment. 

Justice Omotosho, in separate judgments on Thursday also convicted and sentenced two Boko Haram terrorists to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to the terrorism offences. 

The two convicts are Mallam Shura Abdullahi and Mallam Abdulrahman Ari. 

The judge equally committed Aisami Kadi, Umaru Usman, and Abdulrahman Hassan, who pleaded guilty to the charges, to different jail terms, ranging between 20 years and 21 years in the counts preferred against them by the prosecution.