A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a former senatorial candidate, Babagana Habeeb, to 10 years in prison after he admitted supplying petroleum products to the extremist group Boko Haram.
Justice Peter Odo Lifu delivered the judgment on Friday, convicting Habeeb on a one-count charge of aiding and abetting terrorism filed by the federal government. The defendant, who contested the 2015 senatorial election in Borno State, pleaded guilty during his arraignment.
“This court is satisfied that the prosecution has established its case,” Justice Lifu ruled, adding that the offence was limited to the supply of fuel to insurgents and not direct membership of the group.
Habeeb, a Maiduguri-based fuel dealer, admitted that petrol from his filling station reached insurgents operating in Nigeria’s northeast, though he claimed the transactions may have been carried out by his attendants.
During the emotional court session, the convict knelt and pleaded for leniency. “I have spent over 10 years in detention without seeing my family,” he told the court, noting that he has two wives and six children dependent on him.
Prosecuting counsel, David Kaswe, opposed the plea, urging the court to impose a stiffer penalty. “The logistical support he provided enabled attacks that led to deaths and displacement,” Kaswe argued. “Without fuel, these terrorists could not power motorcycles used for attacks and escape.”
Although the prosecution pushed for a 20-year sentence, the court considered the fact that Habeeb had already spent over a decade in detention. Justice Lifu ordered that the 10-year sentence take effect from the date of his arrest.
The court further directed that he be released upon completion of the sentence and recommended rehabilitation.
Security experts say the case highlights how critical supply chains—particularly fuel—have sustained insurgent operations in the northeast, where motorcycles are frequently used in attacks and rapid movement across difficult terrain.
The conviction is seen as part of broader efforts by Nigerian authorities to dismantle not only terrorist cells but also the financial and logistical networks that enable their operations.
