A former senatorial candidate in Borno State, Babagana Habeeb, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for selling petrol to Boko Haram terrorists.
The judgment was delivered on Friday by Justice Peter Lifu, following a one-count charge of aiding and abetting terrorism brought against the defendant by the Federal Government.
Habeeb, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, had earlier pleaded guilty to selling petrol to the insurgents. However, he argued that his station attendants may have carried out the transactions without his direct involvement.
During proceedings, the defendant reportedly knelt in court for nearly an hour, pleading for leniency. He told the court that his family had not been able to see or communicate with him for over 10 years.
Counsel to the Federal Government, David Kaswe, opposed the plea for leniency. He argued that supplying fuel to Boko Haram significantly enabled their operations, including attacks that resulted in deaths and displacement of civilians. He urged the court to impose a 20-year sentence.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu noted that there was no evidence linking Habeeb directly to membership in Boko Haram or involvement in weapons training. However, the court held that providing fuel to the group constituted material support for terrorism.
The judge also acknowledged that the convict had already spent more than 10 years in detention, a claim not disputed by the prosecution.
Consequently, the court sentenced Habeeb to 10 years imprisonment, ruling that the sentence would take effect from the date of his initial arrest and detention.
The court further ordered that he be released immediately upon completion of the sentence and undergo rehabilitation.