The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Abuja, Tuesday, sentenced? a former Boko Haram spokesman, Ali Umar Konduga (a.k.a Al-Zawahiri) to three years imprisonment.
Konduga had earlier pleaded ‘guilty’ to a two-count charge of felony, criminal breach of public trust and intimidation through anonymous communication.
The Chief Magistrate, Oyebola Oyewumi had two weeks ago, summarily convicted? Konduga after he entered a ‘guilty plea’ in line with Section 318 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). But the Chief Magistrate stayed the sentence, following a request by the State Security Service (SSS) lawyer, Clifford?? Osagie to defer the sentence on the grounds that the security operatives needed more time to conclude their investigations.
Besides, the SSS also said it wanted to establish a link between the convict and Senator Ali Ndume (first accused person), who is alleged to be the financier of the deadly sect.
Before the sentence was passed, a mild drama ensued when a lawyer, Mrs Regina Okotie-Eboh,? raised an objection to the jurisdiction of the court to try the accused person. But Magistrate Oyewumi halted her in her tracks, saying the court was functus officio (bound by its decision) and that if the court must hear her, then it must be via a written submission.