Nigerian lawmaker Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, the member representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has raised concerns over what he described as inconsistent sentencing for individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses in Nigeria.
Speaking during Thursday’s plenary, El-Rufai questioned why a Boko Haram member recently received a 20-year sentence while the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was handed a life sentence for similar terrorism-related charges.
His comments follow the Federal High Court judgment earlier this month in Abuja, where Hussaini Ismaila, a leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Days later, Kanu was convicted and given a life sentence, a development the lawmaker believes raises questions about fairness in the judicial process.
“There was a conviction of a terrorist, a Boko Haram member… he was convicted for 20 years by the High Court. But Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was convicted last week, and his own conviction said life sentence,” El-Rufai said. “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,” El-Rufai, who is the son of Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, said.
The Nigerian Newsphere had earlier reported that Arise Television anchor Rufai Oseni criticized the federal government for allegedly engaging in negotiations with bandits while Kanu received a harsh prison sentence.
