Court jails ex-Borno senatorial candidate 10 years for selling petrol to Boko Haram

A federal high court in Abuja has sentenced Babagana Habeeb, a former senatorial candidate in Borno, to 10 years’ imprisonment for “selling petroleum” to Boko Haram terrorists.

Habeeb was convicted on Friday after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of aiding and abetting terrorism filed against him by the federal government.

The defendant, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, admitted to supplying petroleum products to insurgents operating in the north-east but said the sales may have been carried out by attendants at his filling station.

During the proceedings, Habeeb, kneeling in the dock, appealed for leniency, telling the court he had spent more than 10 years in detention without contact with his family and that he has two wives and six children.

David Kaswe, counsel to the federal government, opposed the plea, arguing that the support provided to the insurgents contributed to the deaths and the displacement of civilians.

Kaswe urged the court to impose a 20-year sentence, noting that insurgents depend on the petrol supplies to power motorcycles used in attacks and escape operations.

In his ruling, Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, held that there was no evidence showing that Habeeb was a member of the terrorist group or had undergone weapons training.

He said the charge before the court was limited to the sale of fuel to the insurgents.

The judge also noted that the prosecution did not dispute Habeeb’s claim that he had been in custody for over a decade.

Lifu subsequently sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment and ordered that the sentence take effect from the date of his arrest.

The court further directed that the defendant be released after completing the sentence, with a recommendation for rehabilitation.