The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a self-confessed Boko Haram member, Abubakar Goni, to 30 years’ imprisonment for his involvement with the proscribed terrorist group.

Justice Binta Nyako handed down the sentence on Friday after Goni admitted knowingly joining the group more than 15 years ago.

Goni, a native of Daira village in Gubi Local Government Area of Yobe State, was prosecuted by the Federal Government on a five-count charge bordering on membership of Boko Haram, training in the handling of AK-47 rifles, attacks on civilians and looting food to feed members of the terrorist group.

He was also accused of participating in attacks on communities in the Republic of Niger before operatives of the Department of State Services arrested him in 2016.

When the charges were read to him in court, Goni admitted being a member of Boko Haram but denied the other allegations.

Following his admission, Justice Nyako invoked Section 16(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2013, to sentence him to 30 years in prison.

Earlier, defence counsel, Dauda Hassan, had urged the court to temper justice with mercy by imposing the minimum sentence on his client.

Hassan argued that Goni had voluntarily admitted the offence, thereby saving the court time, and appealed for leniency on that basis.

The judge, however, ordered that the sentence should run from 2016, when Goni was arrested by the DSS and taken into detention.

Justice Nyako also directed the Federal Ministry of Interior to determine the correctional facility where the convict would serve his sentence.