A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced former Borno senatorial candidate Babagana Habeeb to 10 years in prison for aiding terrorism by selling petrol to Boko Haram insurgents, in one of the most closely watched individual convictions to emerge from Nigeria’s latest round of mass terrorism trials. Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on Friday after finding that the Federal Government had proved its case on a one-count charge of aiding and abetting terrorism.
Habeeb, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, had admitted in court that members of Boko Haram obtained fuel from his filling station, although he tried to distance himself from the direct transactions by saying the sales may have been carried out by his attendants. The judge held that while there was no evidence showing he was a member of Boko Haram or had received weapons training, his admitted role in supplying petrol to the group was enough to sustain the charge.
During the proceedings, Habeeb repeatedly pleaded for leniency, kneeling before the court and telling the judge that he had two wives and six children who depended on him. He also said he had spent more than 10 years in detention without being able to see or communicate with family members. Prosecutors from the Federal Ministry of Justice opposed his plea, arguing that the fuel he supplied helped Boko Haram fighters carry out deadly attacks and escape on motorcycles after raids on communities. Government counsel David Kaswe urged the court to impose a 20-year sentence, saying such logistical support had contributed to deaths, destruction and prolonged terror in northeastern Nigeria.
Justice Lifu ultimately sentenced Habeeb to 10 years’ imprisonment, but ordered that the sentence should run from the date of his arrest and detention. Because the prosecution did not challenge his claim that he had already spent more than a decade in custody, the court further directed that he be released immediately upon signing the necessary release warrant, so that he could proceed to an extensive rehabilitation programme.
The case unfolded alongside Nigeria’s ninth phase of terrorism trials, in which authorities said they secured 386 convictions out of 508 cases handled over four days in Abuja. Against that backdrop, Habeeb’s conviction stands out because it highlights a key element of insurgency beyond the battlefield: the civilian supply networks that help extremist groups sustain operations. In Nigeria’s counterterrorism campaign, the ruling sends a message that not only fighters, but also those who materially enable them, face serious legal consequences.
