ISWAP commander Hussaini Ismaila sentenced to 20 years for terror attacks

ISWAP commander Hussaini Ismaila sentenced to 20 years for terror attacks

Hussaini Ismaila, a commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for orchestrating multiple terrorist attacks, the Department of State Services (DSS) announced on Tuesday.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered the ruling after Ismaila, also known as Mai Tangaran, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on a four-count charge under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.

Ismaila was accused of planning and executing attacks on several police installations in Kano State in 2012, including the Police Headquarters in Bompai, the Mobile Police Base on Kabuga Road, the Pharm Centre Police Station, and Angwa Uku Police Station, resulting in multiple injuries.

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He was initially detained on August 31, 2017, in Tsamiyya Babba Village, Gezewa Local Government Area, Kano State, and arraigned soon after. However, the trial was delayed due to interlocutory appeals and proceedings to verify the voluntariness of his extrajudicial statements.

During the trial, the DSS presented five witnesses, including operatives and eyewitnesses to the attacks. Following the testimony of the fifth witness, Ismaila changed his plea to guilty. His lawyer, P. B. Onijah of the Legal Aid Council, urged the court to consider both justice and mercy, highlighting his client’s remorse.

Justice Nwite found Ismaila guilty on all counts, sentencing him to 15 years on count one and 20 years on counts two, three, and four, to run concurrently, with a maximum jail term of 20 years. The sentence is backdated to August 31, 2017, the date of his detention.

The judge also authorized the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service to assign Ismaila to any correctional facility and ordered mandatory rehabilitation and deradicalization before his eventual reintegration into society.

ISWAP commander Hussaini Ismaila sentenced to 20 years for terror attacks