A Boko Haram fighter involved in killing of many people in the Northeast was sentenced to death in Abuja yesterday, 09/4/26 as part of the ongoing trial of 500 suspected terrorists.
Our correspondent reports that Auwalu Samaila, who was unrepentant got the death sentence after prosecutor established his involvement in many Boko Haram operation across towns in Abamawa and Borno States.
Samaila, one of the 500 terrorism suspects being prosecuted by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), was arraigned on a six-count charge.
In the charge marked: FHC/KNJ//CR/122/2026, Samaila, a native of Gulak Village, Madagali Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa, was listed as the sole defendant.
The death sentence was in relation to counts four, five and six, while he got 25 years on counts one and two. Samaila was also sentenced to 30 years imprisonment on count three.
He was alleged to have, between 2012 and 2017 in Sabongari Kyambula Village, Gulak LGA, confessed to being a member of Boko Haram, a proscribed terrorist organisation. The suspect was accused of agreeing to receive training on terrorist activities from one Sadiqu Adamu (Kare-kare), a Boko Haram member, and a training in weapon handling with AK47 in preparation to commit an act of terrorism under the leadership of Yabana in Izza Boko Haram Camp.
The federal government also accused Samaila of participating in attacks at Damboa, Borno, between 2012 and 2017, where civilians and military personnel were killed.
He was alleged to have participated in the attack at Gombi in Adamawa where scores of civilian populace were killed, as well as the terror attack at Hong in Adamawa “where civilian populace were killed.”
Samaila pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him, following which the prosecution tendered his confessional statement for admission as evidence.
Samaila stated, in the confessional statement, that he conveyed female suicide bombers to target locations, adding that the first suicide bomber he conveyed was Halima, whom he admitted taking to Muna Garage in Maiduguri. He also stated that he participated in attacks in Mubi, Chibok, Damaturu, Michika, Gulak, among others. Samaila said it was at the Konduga operation, where Boko Haram members fought with the military, that he sustained injury, which led to the amputation of his left leg.
He said: “I was treated by medical team in Farisu when I got this injury which led to the cutting of my leg.” In his judgment, Justice James Omotosho noted that the prosecution proved its case as required, but added that the defendant was unremorseful.
Justice Omotosho convicted Samaila and sentenced him to death.The judge said: “It is when somebody is remorseful and seeks forgiveness with God that he can have mercy from him. “The convict before me is not remorseful despite a lot of atrocities he committed and the lives that had gone from his hand. May God have mercy on his soul.” Relatedly, Justice Omotosho convicted and sentenced two Boko Haram terrorists, Shura Abdullahi and Abdulrahman Ari, to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty.
The judge equally committed Aisami Kadi, Umaru Usman and Abdulrahman Hassan, who pleaded guilty to the charges, to different jail terms, ranging between 20 and 21 years in the counts preferred against them by the prosecution.
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