Terrorism: Court Sentences Berende, Adewunmi to 5yrs Imprisonment

A Federal High Court in Abuja on  Wednesday sentenced Abdulahi Mustapha Berende and Saheed Adewunmi to five years imprisonment each for act of terrorism.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed in a judgment delivered yesterday on the terrorism charge brought against them by the Department of state service DSS, found the defendants guilty of the charges.

The DSS had in 2013 arraigned the defendants on a six count charge bordering on terrorism.

Justice Mohammed said that after reviewing the evidences of eight prosecution witness and defence of the defendants, found Berende guilty on all six count, while the second defendant Adewumi was guilty of count 5 and 6 only.

The judge however held that the sentences are to run concurrently.

Justice Mohammed held that the prosecution was able to prove the charge against the defendants against any reasonable doubts.

He added that Berende having described the military training he received in Iran on the use of weapons as well as how he got money to shop after the training, amounted to a confession of crime in law.
Earlier, M.I Hanafi, counsel to Berende had pleaded with the court to consider in its sentencing, the fact that his client had no previous criminal records and had been in detention in the last five years.
Similarly, counsel to Adewumi, N. Oladimeji urgef the court to tamper Justice with mercy, stressing that the second defendant had not been found guilty of any crime.
The prosecuting counsel, Chioma Onuegbu thanked the court for the judgment describing it as a well thought out one.
It will be recalled that the DSS had in 2012, said it arrested Berende and two other Nigerians after Berende made several suspicious trips to Iran where he interacted with Iranians in a "high profile terrorist network."