Court Sentences Ex-Senatorial Borno Candidate To 10 Years Over Fuel Sales To Insurgents

A former senatorial candidate in Borno State, Babagana Habeeb, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Abuja for supplying petroleum products to members of the Boko Haram insurgent group.

The judgment was delivered by Justice Peter Odo Lifu, who found Habeeb guilty on a single charge of aiding and abetting terrorism, filed by the Federal Government. Habeeb, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, had earlier pleaded guilty, admitting that fuel was sold to insurgents in the North-East, though he suggested the transactions may have been carried out by his staff.

During the brief court proceedings, Habeeb appealed for leniency, stating that he has two wives and six children and had been held in detention for over a decade without contact with his family.

However, prosecution counsel, David Kaswe, opposed the request, arguing that the fuel supplied enabled attacks that resulted in deaths and displacement. While acknowledging the lengthy pre-trial detention, he urged the court to impose a 20-year sentence.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu noted that there was no proof linking Habeeb directly to membership or training with Boko Haram, emphasizing that the conviction was strictly based on the sale of fuel. The judge also observed that the claim of over 10 years in detention was not challenged by the prosecution.

The court ultimately sentenced Habeeb to 10 years imprisonment, ordering that the term take effect from the date of his arrest. The judge further directed that he be released immediately upon completion of the sentence and be allowed to undergo rehabilitation.