A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has sentenced the mastermind of the 2011 Christmas day bombing, in Niger State, Kabiru Umar also known as Kabiru Sokoto to life imprisonment.
The incident which left 44 people dead happened at the St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State when a car packed with explosives rammed into the gates of the church.
The court also found Kabiru Sokoto guilty of planning to bomb the Police Headquarters in Sokoto State.
Aside the allegation that he trained over 500 men on how to manufacture and detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the Federal Government said that he had prior knowledge that the sect planned to bomb the church on Christmas day but failed to disclose it to any law enforcement officer as soon as reasonably practicable.
He was said to have between 2007 and 2012, at Mabira Sokoto, Sokoto State, facilitated the commission of terrorist acts, including planting bombs at Police Headquarters and some government organisations in the state.
Though he was previously arrested by the Police in Abuja on January 14, 2012, he was, however, declared missing two days later.