TheCable

A federal high court in Lagos has sentenced three members of Boko Haram to 75 years jail term with hard labour.

The judgement comes as another blow to the sect, which has recently suffered losses to Nigerian security forces in northeastern communities it earlier gained control of.

Isa Damsaka aka Bashir Mohammed, leader of the sect and notorious double of Abubakar Shekau, was recently killed alongside several insurgents in an operation in Konduga, a community in Borno state.

And on September 29, 30 members of the sect were reported to have died in an in-fighting that broke out in the camp of the militants.

handing out the judgement on Tuesday, Justice Ibrahim Buba, who initially adjourned the sitting to examine the application that the trial should be conducted in secret because of the need to protect the witnesses, delivered his judgment in the presence of only lawyers in the prosecution and defence teams.

The court proceedings went on in camera, as journalists, security personnel and other people in attendance were ordered out of the court.

Out of the 17 suspects arrested, Ali Mohammed, Adamu Karumi and  Ibrahim Usman were the ones eventually found guilty of terrorism charges.

They were caught in possession of three packets of explosive construction pipes, 15 detonators, and 11 AK47 rifles with 30 rounds of live ammunitions on March 21, 2013.

The other items found in the possession of the accused include 200 rounds of 7.6 millimetres live ammunition, two suitcases containing explosives, and a water container filled with explosives.

The prosecution maintained that the offences contravened provisions of Sections 13(2) and 17(b) of the terrorism act 2013.