For Husaini Ismaila — one of the key leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) — the long arm of the law finally caught up with him on Tuesday. But the 20-year sentence handed down by the Federal High Court in Abuja has sparked serious questions about whether the punishment truly matches the scale of his terror operations.
Justice Emeka Nwite sentenced Ismaila, also known as Mai Tangaran, after he pleaded guilty to a four-count terrorism charge brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Ismaila had been linked to some of the most devastating terror attacks in Kano State, including the 2012 coordinated bombings on the Police Headquarters in Bompai; the Mobile Police Base along Kabuga Road; Pharm Centre Police Station; and the Angwa Uku Police Station, where several people were injured and public infrastructure destroyed.
According to the DSS, Ismaila played a central coordinating role in these attacks. He was arrested on August 31, 2017, in Tsamiyya Babba Village, Gezewa LGA of Kano State, and subsequently arraigned under the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.
The trial, however, dragged on for years due to multiple appeals and a trial-within-trial aimed at determining the voluntariness of his confessional statements. When proceedings resumed, the prosecution presented five witnesses, including two DSS operatives and eye-witnesses from some of the attack locations.
Initially, Ismaila pleaded not guilty, but after the testimony of the fifth prosecution witness, he dramatically changed his plea to guilty. His lawyer, Onijah, begged the court for leniency, saying the defendant was remorseful and sought to avoid further delays.
Justice Nwite convicted him on all four counts, sentencing him to 15 years on count one and 20 years each on counts two, three and four. He ordered that all sentences run concurrently, effectively making the jail term 20 years — a decision that has stirred debate over whether such a sentence is commensurate with the scale of carnage linked to the convict.
The judge further ruled that the sentence should begin from the date of his arrest — August 31, 2017 — meaning Ismaila has already served eight years of the term. Justice Nwite also directed the Controller-General of the Correctional Service to confine him in any designated facility and ensure he undergoes rehabilitation and deradicalization before eventual reintegration into society.
For many observers, the question remains: Is 20 years enough for a man accused of orchestrating some of Nigeria’s darkest terror attacks?
