Borno Farmer Jailed 15 Years for Failing to Report Boko Haram Activities

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 55-year-old farmer, Ali Mustapha, to 15 years imprisonment for concealing information about the activities of Boko Haram insurgents in his community in Borno State.

Mustapha, a resident of Katara Village, was prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation after being held in custody since 2013.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge brought against him. Following his plea, Justice Binta Nyako convicted and sentenced him to 15 years in prison without the option of a fine.

In her ruling, the judge acknowledged the convict’s claim that there were no government officials or security agencies available in his remote community through whom he could have reported the insurgents’ activities.

Justice Nyako, however, held that the offence had been established and subsequently imposed the prison term. She further ordered that the sentence should take effect from 2013, the year Mustapha was arrested and remanded in custody.