Saturday, June 20, 2026 - A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, sentenced a 37-year-old man, Zakaria Garba, to d3ath by hanging over his involvement in the 2014 Nyanya Motor Park bomb explosions.
No fewer than 70 people were k!lled while several others
sustained varying degree of injuries.
Justice James Omotsoho, in a judgment delivered in the
just-concluded Abuja mass trial of suspected terrorists, also handed down a
life imprisonment for Mr Garba in another count of the five-count charge.
Justice Omotosho convicted the defendant after he pleaded
guilty to the five counts preferred against him by the Federal Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the judgement was
delivered on Tuesday in the charge number: FHC/KNJ/CR/985/2026, filed by the
office of the Attorney-General of three Federation (AGF) and Minister of
Justice.
The judge sentenced Mr Garba to a 35-year jail term each
in counts one and two, a life imprisonment in count three, a d3ath sentence in
counts four and five.
“May God have mercy on you,” the judge said.
NAN reports that in count three which attracted a life
imprisonment, Garba of Jambutu Park, Jimeta Local Government Area of Adamawa,
and others now at large, were alleged to have, sometime in 2014 while at the
Nyanya Motor Park, FCT Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, committed
the offence.
They were said to have knowingly conspired among
themselves “to commit acts of terrorism by planning and coordinating the
bombing of Nyanya Motor Park, Abuja through the use of explosives devices,
which bombing resulted in the d3ath of over 70 persons and injured several
others.”
The offence is punishable under Section 17 of the
Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under same Section of
the Act.
In count four which also attracted capital punishment, the terrorist, who stated in his confessional statement that he used to sell tea and bread, with others now at large, were said to have, sometime in 2014 while at the Nyanya Motor Park, FCT Abuja, committed the offence.
They were said to have “knowingly and intentionally caused the detonation of explosive devices at Nyanya Motor Park with intent to cause death and serious bodily harm to members of the public, which act resulted in over 70 (Seventy) persons’ d3ath and injuries to several others.”
The offence is punishable under Section 1(3) of the
Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013.
Also in count five which attracted d3ath penalty, the
convict and others now at large were said to have, sometime in 2014 while at
the Nyanya Motor Park, FCT Abuja, “participated in an act of terrorism which
caused the d3ath of over 70 (Seventy) persons by detonating explosives.”
According to the charge, you thereby committed an offence
punishable under Section 1(3) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013.
Justice Omotosho also handed down various prison terms to
some other terrorists who pleaded guilty to the separate terrorism charges
filed against them.
Ali Mohammed, in charge number: FHC/KNJ/CR/1020/2026, was
committed to a 25-year jail term in count one and 15-year imprisonment in count
two.
Isa Saleh was sentenced to a 20-year imprisonment in a
one-count charge marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/973/2026.
Tujan Mohammed, in a charge marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/954/2026,
also bagged a 20-year jail term in the one count preferred against him by the
Federal Government.
For Salisu Bala, the judge convicted and sentenced him to
a 20-year imprisonment in count two but discharged and acquitted him in counts
one and three in the charge marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/963/2026.
The trial, which usually takes place at Kainji in Niger,
was moved to the the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja.
The AGF, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who led the Federal
Government’s team of lawyer for the prosecution, said the government was
determined to stamp out terrorism and its related activities from the country.
“We will fight with every inch of our blood to ensure
that we make Nigeria a safe haven for everybody," Fagbemi said.
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