Boko Haram kingpin threatens FG

– Kabiru Sokoto wants N300 million for damages
– Justice asked the respondents to be served before appearing in court on the next adjourned date

Convicted Boko Haram kingpin, Kabiru Umar, wants his conviction upturned.

Kabiru Umar, a convicted kingpin of dreaded Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has filed a suit against the federal government.

According to Vanguard, the suit against the federal government by the convict popularly referred to as Kabiru Sokoto will be presented before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court on February 4, 2016 for hearing.

Sokoto had been convicted and sent to life imprisonment on December 20, 2013, after he was found guilty of masterminding the Christmas day bomb blast that killed about 44 persons and wounded 75 others at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church at Madalla, Niger state, in 2011.

The trial Justice Adeniyi Ademola, in his judgment, expressed his satisfaction with the federal government for successfully establishing the culpability of the convict beyond every reasonable doubt, adding that the criminal had in two separate confessional statements, admitted that he had prior knowledge of the attack.
Sokoto did not show any remorse throughout the case lasted and was also described by the court as “a pathological liar with no regards for the truth.”

The court also stated that it observed that Sokoto, in a statement which he made in January, 2012, shortly after being caught, that was a key member of the Boko Haram sect.

“Here in Abaji, nobody knows that I am a Boko Haram member, much so, I have about 500 children that I teach Quran,” Sokoto was reported to have written in a confessional statement.

And in the page four of his statement, Sokoto confessed that under his supervision, “the Madalla church bombing was carried out by one Bashir Mohammed, Muhktar Kafanchan and others who I cannot remember their names now.”

After his initial N300 million suit against the government over alleged torture, yesterday, re-approached the high court and accused her of frustrating his efforts to get his conviction upturned at the court of appeal.
Filing the motion through his lawyer, Sheriff Okoh, the Boko Haram member further alleged that the Comptroller of Prisons and his men have made it impossible for him to have access to his lawyer, to enable him perfect his appeal process.

The motion has the Comptroller General of Prisons (CGP) and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as respondents, and is seeking an order from the court to compel the respondents to allow Sokoto, who is presently detained at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, Lagos, have access to his legal team.
He is equally seeking a declaration that the federal government have violated his right to fair hearing, right to counsel and access to justice by denying him access to his lawyers.

The lawyer said: “We have made several personal contacts with the 1st defendant (CGP), his men: S. N. Nwanchukwu (PSO), E. O. Ogundele (DCG) among others, at the Nigeria Prisons headquarters, Abuja in a bid to persuade them to permit us to see the applicant, but they kept making us indulge in fruitless returns for approvals from the 2nd respondent (AGF) that has not come for over two years.
“Wherefore, we verily believe that their actions are aimed at ensuring that the applicant’s appeal of his conviction and sentence continues to be frustrated in perpetuity.

“The applicant’s appeal before the Court of Appeal is being delayed as a result of the conduct of the 1st respondent and men under his command and supervision.”

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, who was assigned the case-file, observed that there was no evidence before the court to show that the respondents were duly served with the process and as such, directed Sokoto’s lawyer to serve the respondents and return to court on the next adjourned date.

Ex-presidnet Goodluck Jonathan has also revealed how he fought hardly against the insurgents, noting also that the weapons he bought for the Nigerian military are now being used by the present administration to wage war against them.