THISDAY BOMBING: Bomber (Mustapha Umar) Jailed for Life!

A member of the Boko Haram terrorist group, Mustapha Umar, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour for throwing explosives into a plaza occupied by Thisday newspaper and two other newspaper publishers in Kaduna, Kaduna State

Delivering the sentence in an Abuja court, Justice Adeniyi Ademola said that the evidence presented by the prosecution showing the convict’s confession and his reasons for committing the crime indicated that he had no dignity for human life and should be removed from the public to forestall future occurrence of the incident.

The Federal High Court Judge also ordered 150 million Naira (about 943, 000 dollars) compensation to the families of the three persons who lost their lives in the incident.

He said the compensation could be handled by the Nigerian government committee on compensation.

Umar, arrested on April 26 2013, was brought before the court for the first time in February 2013 on a one-count charge of terrorism filed by the Nigerian Police Force.

Pleaded Not Guilty

He was said to have driven a white Honda Accord car with registration number AL 306 MKA with improvised explosives devices into the premises of SOJ Plaza with the intention to detonate the explosive devices within the premises.

The incident claimed the lives of three persons and caused several degrees of injuries on others.

Umar had pleaded not guilty to the charge, claiming he was a passer-by and a trader dealing in local perfumes, when he was arrested by the police and subsequently forced to admit that he committed the crime.

The court dismissed his claims, saying his alibi has tissues of lies.

Justice Ademola said he believed the video evidence where he confessed that he was a member of the deadly Islamic fundamentalist group, Boko Haram and the testimonies of ten witnesses comprising of police officers who participated in the investigation.

“The prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and agreed that the accused committed the offence for which he was charged,” Justice Ademola said.

Force’s Efforts In Tackling Terrorism

The defence lawyer Nureini Suleiman pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy saying the accused is a young man whose family and aged parents depend on for their livelihood.

He told the court that the accused was a first time offender.

Despite his pleas, the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour.

The spokesman for the Nigerian Police Force, Mr Frank Mba, described the ruling as a testimony of the force’s commitment to tackling terrorism in Nigeria.

Beside the conviction of the accused, the court ordered that the Honda Accord car used by the accused for the dastardly act be forfeited to the Nigerian government.

Mustaphar Umar has been escorted to the Nigerian Prison for the final time to serve his jail term.