SAN FRANCISCO, September 12, (THEWILL) – The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to tell Nigerians if he has freed the only Boko Haram terrorist convicted for the killing of about 50 worshippers at the Madala Catholic Church near Abuja.
The group recalled that only few months ago, Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the Federal High Court, Abuja had sentenced to life imprisonment Mallam Kabiru Abu baker Dikko (aka Kabiru Sokoto) and as at 2015, he was being held Kuje prison following his conviction over his role in connection with the 2011 Christmas Day bombing at the St Theresa Catholic Church, Mandalla, Niger State be remanded in Kuje prison.
The blast in respect of which he was given life conviction claimed about 44 lives and wounded 75 others.
This was contained in a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, which recalled that prior to his sentencing, the terror mastermind Sokoto was accused of withholding information on the plan to bomb St.Theresa Church.
He was also charged with failure to disclose the plan to law-enforcement officer as soon as practicable, an offence contrary to Section 7(1) and punishable under Section 33(1) of Terrorism and Prevention Act 2011.
Sokoto was further accused of supporting the act of terrorism by training 500 men and inciting them to commit a terrorist act, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) and punishable under Section 33(1)(b) of Terrorism and Prevention Act 2011.
The accused allegedly facilitated the commission of terrorist act to wit: by planting and encouraging some boys (now at large) at Mabira Sokoto in Sokoto State with the intention to bomb the police headquarters and some other government agencies in the state.
The alleged offence is contrary to Section 15(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under the same Act.
But HURIWA stressed that since the current Buhari administration accepted to free some Boko Haram terrorists being detained in exchange for the elusive Chibok school girls allegedly kidnapped over two years ago, the social media platforms are replete with reports of the release of this notorious terror mastermind who is one of the very few already convict
It stated that the setting free of a man who plotted the bombing of a Catholic Church filled up with worshippers thereby resulting in the slaughter of scores of Nigerians would amount to dancing in the graves of the innocent souls slaughtered by the terrorists.
HURIWA lambasted the current Federal government for failing to aggressively prosecute the terror suspects in detention but has decided to engage in subterranean deals with dreaded armed terrorists for whatever considerations which are however unconstitutional, illegal and undemocratic.
The rights group therefore asked Buhari to address Nigerians and clear the impression that his government has decidedly released a hardened terrorist convicted for his crimes against humanity even when political prisoners like Mr Nnamdi Kanu is languishing in prison.
