Suspected Boko Haram members to serve 20 yrs sentence

At a public sitting before a military tribunal held on July 24, at palais de justice in Maroua, 22 persons suspected to belonge to the Boko Haram sect were sentenced to serve from 10 up to 20 years in prison for each. They were prosecuted for illegal possession of firearms and other war materials, armed robbery, dangerous preparations and insurgencies.

Among those sentenced were; Ndjidda Hassana (popularly called of cheik), Ali Cheik, Abdoul Mohamed, Alioum Hassane, Abakar Mohamed, Mahamat Adjil, Hassana Ahmed, Ema Hassana, Idriss Djibril, Ndjidda Mohamed, Hadjer Mohamed, Mohamed Ali, Ndjidda Mohamed alias Hassana Ahmed and others.

All of them were judged by the president of the tribunal Thomo Barnabé, the 2 men were arrested March 26, 2014 in the sis Abidek village in the District of Goulfey. They were arrested following the discovery of an impressive war arsenal consisting of 6,000 ammunition, 239 Kalashnikovs, a ton of grenades, a canon, a mortar, 2 guns colt, 3 automatic guns etc.

Before the Court, Ndjidda Hassana alias Cheik acknowledged having kept this war arsenal at his home, but they denied belonging to the Boko Haram sect. "It is a certain Abdoul Karimou (deceased) who put me in contact with some people who deal with arms. The first time they came around midnight with their cargo and paid me the sum of CFAF 500,000. For the second cargo, they gave me the sum of 250,000 francs. The third time, they gave me nothing, but the fourth time I collected the sum of 750,000 francs", said Ndjidda Hassana in court.

During discussions, the other men who were also accused, also denied having anything to do with these weapons. However, Didier Sipa the Government Commissioner and member of his collegiality all agreed that all those accused should be sentenced. Thus, after the requisition of the Government Commissioner, the president of the Court delivered the sentence against Ndjidda Hassana, who was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

As for the others, they were sentenced to 10 years in prison, sentences that some senior officers of the army found lenient to people convinced of belonging to the Boko Haram sect which is at the fore front of violence in the northern part of Cameroon.