The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Abubakar Goni, a self-confessed member of the proscribed Boko Haram terrorist group, to 30 years’ imprisonment.
Justice Binta Nyako delivered the sentence on Friday, 16 October 2026, following Goni’s admission that he knowingly joined the terrorist organisation more than 15 years ago.
Goni, who hails from Daira village in Gubi Local Government Area of Yobe State, was prosecuted by the Federal Government on a five-count charge relating to his membership of Boko Haram, weapons training, attacks on civilians and the alleged looting of food supplies for the group.
The prosecution also accused him of participating in attacks on communities in the Republic of Niger before operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested him in 2016.
During proceedings, Goni admitted belonging to Boko Haram but denied the other allegations against him.
Following his admission, Justice Nyako invoked Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2013, to impose the 30-year prison sentence.
Earlier, defence counsel Dauda Hassan appealed to the court for leniency, urging the judge to impose the minimum available sentence. He argued that his client had voluntarily admitted the offence and had not unnecessarily prolonged the proceedings.
Taking into account the plea for leniency and Goni’s status as a first-time offender, the judge ruled that the sentence should run from 2016, the year he was arrested by the DSS and taken into custody.
Justice Nyako also directed the Federal Ministry of Interior to determine the correctional facility where Goni would serve his sentence.
The ruling marks the conclusion of the case against Goni, who has remained in custody since his arrest nearly a decade ago.
