The Federal High Court in Abuja, Tuesday sentenced Awal Bello, to 10 years in prison for exchanging N750,000 notes for Boko Haram during the currency redesign crisis in 2023.
The naira redesign policy implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between 2022 and early 2023 required people to swap their old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes with the newly designed versions which were in short supply at the time.
Bello was arrested and prosecuted for helping Boko Haram members swap currency notes totaling N750,000 during that period.
The judge, Binta Nyako, in a judgement, also sentenced Bello to 10 years imprisonment for paying N20,000 in tax to Boko Haram contrary to Section 21 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2013.
Mrs Nyako, who found Bello guilty of the offence after he pleaded guilty to two counts preferred against him by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), ordered that the sentences shall run concurrently.
In count one, Mr Bello of Mantari Village in the Bama local government area of Borno state was alleged to have in 2023, rendered support by facilitating Nigerian currency notes of N750,000 to Boko Haram contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2013, which is punishable under the same Act.
In count two, he was accused of paying N20,000 in tax to the terrorist organisation contrary to Section 21 of Terrorism Prevention Act, 2013.
Mr Bello, who pleaded guilty to the charge, begged the court to temper justice with mercy.
