A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Hussaini Ismaila, a leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), to 20 years imprisonment for masterminding a series of devastating terror attacks on police facilities in Kano State in 2012.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgement on Tuesday, finding Ismaila, also known as ‘Mai Tangaran’, guilty on all four counts of terrorism proffered against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The court heard how Ismaila coordinated the synchronised assaults on the Police Headquarters in Bompai, a Mobile Police Base on Kabuga Road, the Pharm Centre Police Station, and the Angwa Uku Police Station, among other locations. The attacks left numerous persons with severe injuries.
The convict was arrested on August 31, 2017, at Tsamiyya Babba Village in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State. His trial, however, faced significant delays due to appeals and a trial-within-trial ordered to determine the voluntariness of his extra-judicial statements.
During the main trial, the prosecution presented five witnesses, including two DSS officials and two eyewitnesses to the attacks. Initially, Ismaila had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In a dramatic turn, the ISWAP leader changed his plea to guilty after the testimony of the fifth prosecution witness. His defence counsel, P. B. Onijah of the Legal Aid Council, then pleaded for leniency, stating his client was genuinely remorseful.
“My lord, the defendant is remorseful and has chosen not to waste the precious time of this court. He regrets his involvement in these activities,” Onijah told the court.
Justice Nwite, in his ruling, sentenced Ismaila to 15 years on the first count and 20 years each on counts two, three, and four. The judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning the convict will serve a maximum of 20 years in prison. The term is to be calculated from the date of his arrest in 2017.
The court also issued specific directives for the convict’s future. Justice Nwite ordered the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service to confine Ismaila in a facility of his choice. Crucially, the judge mandated that upon completion of his prison term, the convict must undergo comprehensive rehabilitation and deradicalisation programmes before being reintegrated into society.
