The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a self-confessed Boko Haram member, Abubakar Goni, to 30 years’ imprisonment for his involvement with the proscribed terrorist group.

Justice Binta Nyako handed down the sentence on Friday after Goni, a native of Daira village in Gubi Local Government Area of Yobe State, admitted that he willingly joined Boko Haram more than 15 years ago.

The Federal Government had arraigned Goni on a five-count charge bordering on membership of Boko Haram, receiving training in the handling of AK-47 assault rifles, launching attacks on civilians and looting food belonging to other people to feed members of the terrorist group.

He was also accused of participating in attacks on communities in the Niger Republic before operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested him in 2016.

When the charges were read to him on Friday, Goni admitted to being a member of Boko Haram but denied the other allegations.

Following his admission, Justice Nyako invoked Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2013, to sentence him to 30 years in prison.

Earlier, defence counsel, Dauda Hassan, had urged the court to temper justice with mercy by imposing the minimum sentence on his client, noting that Goni had voluntarily admitted the offence without wasting the court’s time.

In granting the plea, the judge also considered Goni’s status as a first-time offender and ordered that the sentence should run from 2016, when he was arrested by the DSS and taken into detention.

Justice Nyako further directed the Federal Ministry of Interior to determine the correctional facility where the convict would serve his sentence.