BREAKING:ISWAP Commander Gets 20-Year Sentence Over Kano Terror Operations

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Hussaini Ismaila, to 20 years imprisonment for multiple terrorism offences. Ismaila, also known as Mai Tangaran, was prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Tuesday after the defendant changed his plea to guilty on a four-count charge under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.

According to the prosecution, Ismaila coordinated several deadly attacks in Kano State in 2012, including strikes on the Police Headquarters in Bompai, the Mobile Police Base on Kabuga Road, Pharm Centre Police Station, and Angwa Uku Police Station, among other locations, resulting in multiple casualties.

Ismaila was arrested on August 31, 2017, at Tsamiyya Babba Village in Gezewa Local Government Area of Kano State. His trial, however, faced delays due to interlocutory appeals and a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of his confessional statements.

The prosecution eventually called five witnesses—two DSS operatives and two eyewitnesses among them. Following the testimony of the fifth witness, Ismaila reversed his earlier plea of not guilty and accepted responsibility for the offences.

His lawyer, P. B. Onijah of the Legal Aid Council, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that the defendant had shown remorse and chose not to waste judicial time.

Justice Nwite found him guilty on all charges and sentenced him to 15 years on count one, and 20 years each on counts two, three, and four. The sentences will run concurrently and will take effect from the date of his arrest in 2017.

The court also directed the Controller-General of the Correctional Service to detain Ismaila in any facility deemed appropriate. After completing his prison term, Ismaila is to undergo rehabilitation and deradicalization before being reintegrated into society.