Umar was found guilty of one count of terrorism by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The convict was alleged to have driven a white Honda Academy car marked AL 306 MKA, loaded with Improvised Explosives Devices into the premises of SOJ plaza with the intention of bombing the building.
The incident claimed the lives of three persons while other persons sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Umar pleaded guilty and justified his action with scriptural reasons. The court, preseided over by Justice Ademola Adeniyi, relied on the suspect’s recorded interview with investigators, where he admitted to be a member of the fundamentalist group.
The court also considered the testimonies of 10 witnesses, comprising police officers, who participated in the investigation.
Justice Adeniyi awarded N150m to the family of the victims of the terror act, noting that their deaths should not be treated with levity.
The court the recommendation would be forwarded to the Amnesty committee, set up by the Federal Government on the resolution of the Boko Haram insurgents, for payment.
Justice Adeniyi commended the effort of the police for the expertise and professionalism demonstrated in the trial, which led to the quality prosecution of the matter by the team of lawyers led by Mr. Shuaibu Labaran, a senior state counsel from Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice.
The case is the first conviction recorded under the amended Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011.
