Boko Haram: Father of eight jailed for 10 years over failure to report terrorists

A father of eight, Malam Mele Modu, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for failing to report the activities of Boko Haram members to security agencies in Borno State.

Modu, from Abara village in Borno State, was convicted by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday after admitting that he failed to provide information that could have helped security agencies arrest and prosecute the terrorists.

He was among 47 suspected terrorists facing trial before Justice Binta Nyako.

The Federal Government charged Modu with four offences, including membership of Boko Haram, supporting the group by harvesting beans for its members and hiding information about their activities.

However, he denied three of the charges and admitted only to failing to provide information to the authorities.

During the court proceedings, Modu told the court that he was afraid the terrorists would kill him if he reported their activities.

His lawyer, Dauda Hassan, also appealed to the court to consider his client’s fear of being killed by the group.

However, the court rejected the argument, citing Section 8(1)(b) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2013.

Justice Nyako found Modu guilty of failing to report information about the terrorists and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

The court ordered that the sentence should take effect from 2016, when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested him.