Lawmaker representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, has questioned why convicted terrorists receive different punishments.
Speaking during a plenary on Thursday at the Green Chamber, the lawmaker pointed out that a terrorist was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison, while the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was given a life sentence.
Federal High Court in Abuja earlier this month sentenced Hussaini Ismaila, a leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province, to 20 years in prison for terrorism-related offences. A few days after the judgement, the IPOB leader was sentenced to life imprisonment for similar terrorism-related crimes.
Speaking on the matter, El-Rufai wondered if justice is applied differently in the country. He said, “There was a conviction of a terrorist, a Boko Haram member. He was convicted for 20 years by the High Court, and he was a Boko Haram terrorist but Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was convicted, I think last week and his own conviction said life sentence.
“I don’t understand, one terrorist is getting 20 years and the other one is getting a life sentence. There is this idea that justice is served differently.”