The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday sentenced Charles Okah and Nwabueze Obi to life imprisonment for their roles in October 1, 2010 Independent Day bombing in Abuja in which 12 persons lost their lives.
The court found the two convicts guilty on 5 out of the 8 amended counts on which they were charged. Four suspects: Edmund Ebiware ,Charles Okah , Nwabueze Obi and Tekemfa Francis-Osvwo were charged in 2011 for act of terrorism following bombings in Warri, Delta State and Abuja.
While Edmund Ebiware confessed to the offence and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 , Tekemfa Francis-Osvwo died in prison. Delivering his judgment on the matter, Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Okah and Obi committed the offences.
The court also found that N2million Henry Okah sent to Charles Okah was used to purchase three cars among which were Honda and Madza 366 cars used in Abuja bombing. Justice Kolawole after listening to allocutus said the court could not impose lesser sentence in view of the fact that Edmund Ebiware who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 did not waste the time of the court.
The judge also held that the court was bound to impose the maximum sentence not only to serve as deterrent but to demonstrate that courts disapproved acts of terrorism, kidnappings, armed robbery and violent acts.
Pleading for mercy after Justice Kolawole had convicted them, Mr. Emeka Okafor, who represented Okah, urged the judge to impose a reduced sentence. He said that Okah had no previous criminal record and tha he had acknowledged his mistake and remorseful . Okah he added, has an aged parents and children who depend on him for survival .
The lawyer said the convict would not pose further danger to the society if his sentence was reduced. He said although , the convict was found guilty by section 15 (1) (2)of the EFCC Act which prescribed life sentence, he urged the court to exercise its discretion as provided for in section 416 of ACJA in passing the sentence.
The second convict, Nwabueze Obi, also made an allocutus through his lawyer, Mr Oghenovo Otemu, who adopted the submissions of Okafor. He said the convict has no previous criminal record and would not pose any danger if his sentence is reduce. He urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
But the prosecuting lawyer, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), urged the court to discountenanced the pleas for mercy because the antecedents of the convicts during the eight years trial did not deserve mercy. He also said that mercy should not be granted to the convicts because justice is also for the victims of the.
bombings. Justice Kolawole had on February 21, reserved the judgment after Iziyon and the Defence lawyer, Mr Emeka Okafor who stood for Okah and Mr Oghenovo Otemu who represented Obi adopted their addresses In his address, Okafor urged the court to discharge and acquit Okah on the grounds that the prosecution did not prove the case of terrorism contained in the count 1 to 8.
Otemu also pleaded with the court to hold that the prosecution was not able to prove case against Nwabueze Obi. The defence lawyer further urged the court to hold that the second defendant wanted to rely on his voluntary statement of 18, October 2010 but was denied by the prosecution who he alleged concealed the evidence.
Otemu also pleaded with the court to discharge the defendant because an FBI report on the incident did not mentioned Hyundia car as one of the cars used in the bombing. He said that none of the cars Obi bought from Ariyo and Fatai was used in the bombing.
And no evidence was led to show that 2 defendant bought Honda car that was allegedly used in the bombing. He said that the contradictions in the evidences of the witnesses should be resolved in favour of the defendant. On his part, Dr. Izinyon (SAN), urged the court to hold that prosecution had prove its case against the defendants and convict them accordingly.
“The first defendant is head, neck and toe deep in the act of terrorism”, Izinyon told the court” He described Okah as a skimmer and facilitator of the act of terrorism that led to the death of 12 persons on 1, October 2010 in Abuja.
He said that the N2 million cheque issued to Obi by Okah which was drawn from his (Okah) Zenith bank account and the evidences of PW 5 and PW 11 Ariyo and Fatai respectively revealed the role he played in bombing .
The amount was used in the purchases of cars used in the bombing. Izinyon also asked the court to believe the evidence of PW 2 who spent four days in Okah house constructing compartments in the two cars for dynamite used in the bombing.
Izinyon also pleaded with the court to discountenance the second defendant claim that his voluntary statement of 18, October 2010 was not tendered in court. He said if the defence strongly believed on his voluntary statement he ought to have applied for it.
Okah, Nwabueze, Edmund Ebiware and Tiemkemfa Francis-Osvwo (aka General Gbokos) were first arraigned before the court on December 7, 2010 over their alleged involvement in the October 1, 2010 blasts, leaving 12 people dead and several others injured.
The court had earlier sentenced Edmund Ebiware to life imprisonment, while the 4th defendant, Tekemfa Francis-Osvwo died in prison.
The court held on June 1, 2017 that both Okah and Nwabueze had case to answer with respect to the incident. Justice Kolawole dismissed the defendants’ no-case submission which they had filed after the prosecution called 17 witnesses and tendered documentary exhibits as evidence to prove its case.
The Judge held that contrary to the contention of the defendants, the prosecution had been able to link the defendants with the alleged offence, warranting them to offer explanations in respect of the charges preferred against them.
