Kano Nigeria- A kidnapper involved in the kidnapping of 200 Chibok school girls in northeast Nigeria has been sentenced to fifteen years in imprisonment.
Justice ministry spokesperson told AFP that Haruna Yahaya, 35, admitted being involved in the abduction when he appeared at a special court trying hundreds of Boko Haram suspects on Monday.
Nigeria has begun prosecuting people last October, to curb the incursion of Boko Haram extremism , starting with 1669 suspects held at military detention centre in Kainji, center of Niger.
“It is true that a member of Boko Haram who took part in the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls was given 15 years jail,” justice ministry spokesman Salihu Isah said.
“Haruna Yahaya, who is 35 and handicapped with a paralysed arm and a deformed leg, was arrested in 2015 by the Civilian JTF,” he said referring to the joint task force militia.
“He confessed to having taken part in the abduction,” Isah said.
Yahaya’s defence lawyer had “pleaded for leniency” on the grounds that he was “forcibly conscripted into the group and he acted under duress”.
But the court dismissed the plea, Isah said, “But the court dismissed his plea on the grounds that he had the option not to take part in Boko Haram activities… His conviction starts from the time of sentence,”
Photo Credit- ConciseNews
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