The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced three terrorists to death by hanging and two to life imprisonment over terrorism offences.
The three terrorists were convicted and sentenced to death after they pleaded guilty to the offences for which they were charged.
They were charged to court by the Federal Government in the ongoing trial in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Danladi Lawal was sentenced to death by Justice James Omotosho, Abdullahi Mohammed and Mohammed Gulama Shaibu were handed the capital punishment by Justice Salim Ibrahim.
When the case was called before Justice Omotosho, 33-year-old Lawal, aka Dankawu, pleaded guilty to counts one, two, three, four, and five after the charge was read to him.
The judge sentenced the convict to a 30-year imprisonment in count one, 15 years in count two, life imprisonment in count three, death by hanging in count four, and a life imprisonment in count five.
“May God have mercy on you,” Justice Omotosho said.
NAN reports that in the charge, marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/956/2026, the Federal Government, through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), preferred a five-count charge against Lawal.
In count four that attracted a death penalty, the convict, who is from Maikaho village, Jibya Local Government Area of Katsina State, and others now at large were said to have sometime in 2020 while in Maikaho village committed the offence.
They were said to have unlawfully abducted and detained an elderly man for four days in a bush hideout at Ilela and demanded the sum of N950,000 as ransom from his family, thereby intimidating the public and causing serious fear and insecurity in the community.
The offence is contrary to Section 1 (2) of the Terrorism (Prevention Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under the same Section of the Act.
In count five that attracted a life imprisonment, Lawal was said to have knowingly received the sum of N450,000 being part of the ransom proceeds obtained from the kidnapping of an elderly man.
The offence is contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism (Prevention Amendment) Act, 2013 and punishable under the same Section of the Act. .
Also, Justice Ibrahim separately sentenced Abdullahi Mohammed and Mohammed Gulama Shaibu to death by hanging after they pleaded guilty to the charges filed against them.
In the charge, marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/245/2026, Mohammed pleaded guilty to the one-count, while Shaibu, in the charge, marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/329/2026, pleaded guilty to a two-count charge.
The judge sentenced Shaibu to death in count one and life imprisonment In count two.
Justice Ibrahim equally sentenced Mohammed Sherife in charge number: FHC/KNJ/CR/1248/2026 to a life imprisonment in counts two, six, and eight of 10-count charge earlier preferred against him by the Federal Government after he pleaded guilty.
In a related development, Justice Omotosho also sentenced Shamsudeen Muhammad Ibrahim, aka Abu Harira, to a life imprisonment in count one and a 35-year jail term in count two, which shall run from June 18.
In count one, Ibrahim of Angwar Hayin Ikara Maje, Ikara LGA, Kaduna State sometime in 2022 in Kubwa FCDA Owner Occupier was accused of committing the offence.
He was said to have “knowingly rendered support to ISWAP by receiving training and sermons from A. Mujahid from Al-Qeada on promoting and sympathising with terrorist activities”.
The offence is contrary to Section 15(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022) and punishable under the same section of the Act.
In count two, the convict was accused of having “an information about the activities of the ISWAP/ANSARU terrorist group and failed to disclose such information to any law enforcement or security officer as soon as reasonably practicable”.
The offence is contrary to Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022) and punishable under the same section of the Act.
Justice Emeka Nwite in another development sentenced Lawi Abubakar Mohammed to a 20-year jail term each in counts one and two, which he pleaded guilty to on Thursday.
The judge ordered that the prison term shall commence from the date of arrest and to run consecutively, making a total of 40 years imprisonment.
The judge ordered that at the end of the prison term, the convict shall be rehabilitated and deradicalised before being release into the society.
