ISWAP Leader Jailed 20 Years for Terror Attacks

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Hussaini Ismaila, to 20 years imprisonment for terrorism-related offences.

Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Tuesday after Ismaila, also known as Mai Tangaran, pleaded guilty to a four-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).

According to the prosecution, Ismaila coordinated a series of coordinated attacks in 2012 across multiple police facilities in Kano State. The targeted locations included the Police Headquarters in Bompai, the Mobile Police Base along Kabuga Road, the Pharm Centre Police Station, and the Angwa Uku Police Station. Several persons sustained injuries during the attacks.

Ismaila was arrested on August 31, 2017, in Tsamiyya Babba Village, Gezewa Local Government Area of Kano State, and subsequently arraigned under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.

The case experienced prolonged delays due to appeals and a trial-within-trial initiated to determine the voluntariness of Ismaila’s extra-judicial statements.

When trial eventually opened, the prosecution called five witnesses including two DSS officials and two eye-witnesses to some of the attacks.

Ismaila, who had earlier pleaded not guilty during his arraignment, changed his plea to guilty after the testimony of the fifth prosecution witness.

Subsequently, defendant’s lawyer, P. B. Onijah from the Legal Aid Council (LAC) pleaded with the court to be lenient with the defendant.

Onijah said Ismaila was remorseful and changed his plea to avoid wasting the court’s time and regretted being involved in terrorism.

Justice Nwite, in his judgment, found Ismaila guilty of the offences charged and sentenced him to 15 years in relation to count one; and 20 years on counts two, three and four.

The judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently, while the sentencing shall begin to run from the date of his arrest, om August 31, 2017.

Justice Nwite equally ordered that the Controller-General of the Correctional Service confine the convict at any prison of the Controller-General’s choice for the purpose of serving his sentence.

The judge added that Ismaila must be subjected to both rehabilitation and deradicalization after serving his term, before being reintegrated with the society.