Court Jails Ex-Senatorial Candidate 10 Years For Aiding Terrorists, Orders Immediate Release After Time Served

Abuja, Nigeria- The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Friday handed a 10-year prison sentence to a former Borno State senatorial candidate, Babagana Habeeb, after finding him guilty of aiding terrorist activities through the supply of petroleum products to insurgents operating in the North-East.

Delivering judgment, Justice Peter Lifu convicted the defendant on a one-count charge filed by the Federal Government, which bordered on aiding and abetting terrorism by facilitating fuel supply to armed groups.

According to the prosecution, Habeeb, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, allegedly sold petroleum products that were later diverted to insurgents.

Prosecutors argued that such supplies played a critical role in enabling terrorist mobility, including the execution of attacks, movement through difficult terrain, and escape into remote areas after operations.

Although Habeeb pleaded guilty during arraignment to selling fuel within the North-East region, he maintained that he was not personally responsible for the transactions in question.

He told the court that his station attendants might have conducted the sales without his direct involvement or supervision.

During Friday’s proceedings, the convict pleaded for mercy in an emotional appeal. He reportedly knelt in the dock, begging the court for leniency, while stating that he has two wives and six children.

He also told the court that he had already spent over 10 years in detention without any contact with his family.

The prosecution counsel, David Kaswe, opposed the plea for leniency, insisting that the offence was grave and had far-reaching consequences.

He argued that fuel supplies provided logistical support to insurgents, enabling deadly attacks that led to killings and mass displacement of civilians across affected communities.

Kaswe urged the court to impose a 20-year sentence, despite acknowledging the convict’s prolonged pre-trial detention.

He maintained that the impact of the offence could not be downplayed, stressing that fuel remains a critical enabler of insurgent operations.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu held that there was no evidence linking the defendant directly to membership, training, or operational command within any terrorist organisation.

The court noted that the only offence established against him was the sale of fuel that ultimately reached insurgents.

The judge also observed that the prosecution did not dispute the claim that the defendant had been in detention for an extended period before conviction.

He further took into account the circumstances of the case, including the nature of the evidence and the convict’s personal plea for mercy.

Justice Lifu consequently sentenced Habeeb to 10 years’ imprisonment. However, the court ordered that the sentence should take effect from the date of his arrest and initial detention, effectively counting the years already spent in custody.

In a further directive, the court ordered that the convict be released immediately after signing the necessary release warrant, paving the way for his reintegration and rehabilitation after serving his sentence in full as calculated from his arrest date.