Man Jailed Seven Years for Supplying Drugs and Cigarettes to Boko Haram in Borno

A father of six, Hamza Yahuza, has been sentenced to seven years in prison by Justice Binta Fatima Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja for supplying Indian hemp and cigarettes to Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.

Yahuza, 40, admitted in court that he committed the offenses in 2023, asking the court for forgiveness and citing poverty as a factor in his involvement. He confessed to providing drugs and cigarettes to terrorists in parts of Monguno Local Government Area.

Justice Nyako rejected his pleas for leniency, emphasizing the gravity of aiding terrorist activities against the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The judge also dismissed his claims that poverty justified his actions.

The convict is among more than 500 individuals brought to various courts by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for abetting terrorism across the country.

The court ruled that Yahuza’s seven-year sentence would commence from March 6, 2023, the date he was apprehended and detained, underscoring that the law treats support for terrorist groups as a serious offense with severe consequences.

This case highlights the Nigerian government’s continued crackdown on anyone providing material support to terrorist organizations, particularly in insurgency-hit states such as Borno.