A Federal High Court in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, has sentenced three men, including a Chinese national, Ripin Liu, to various terms of imprisonment for terrorism-related offences and illegal possession of firearms.
Aliyu Hadari and Umar Musa Uzzi were sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, while Liu was sentenced to six years.
The Chinese national was arrested with a Beretta pistol and convicted in connection with the offences.
Delivering judgment, Justice Emmanuel Gakko of the Federal High Court, Birnin Kebbi, held that the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants provided logistical support to terrorists and conspired to commit terrorism, contrary to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The court heard that the defendants were intercepted along Yauri Road while travelling in a vehicle allegedly acquired specifically to transport kidnap victims to a forest hideout.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the vehicle and a Bajaj motorcycle to the Federal Government after establishing their connection to the offences.
In a separate development, the court sentenced Mohammed Bello Ibrahim, alias Banki, to four years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine, while Abubakar Siddi received three years’ imprisonment without an option of a fine.
Mohammed Bako, Bello Dantiye, Aliyu Dandaula and Abubakar Usman were also sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each without an option of a fine.
Buba Alhaji Umaru, who was arrested in Bagudo Local Government Area after allegedly crossing into the country from a neighbouring country with a locally fabricated pistol, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
John Zweme received two years and six months’ imprisonment with an option of a fine, while Aliyu Bako and Sani Alaramma were each sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with an option of a fine.
The police command also secured the conviction of six persons identified as economic saboteurs: Sani Tanko, Ibrahim Hamza, Samson Sunday, Abdulrahman Isah, Adamu Musa and Masudu, for vandalising and stealing electric cables in the Sakaba area of Kebbi State.
They were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment ranging from three to eight years.
