A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, sentenced a 37-year-old man, Zakaria Garba, to d3ath by hanging over his involvement in the 2014 Nyanya Motor Park bomb explosions.
No fewer than 70 people were k!lled while several others sustained varying degree of injuries.
Justice James Omotsoho, in a judgment delivered in the just-concluded Abuja mass trial of suspected terrorists, also handed down a life imprisonment for Mr Garba in another count of the five-count charge.
Justice Omotosho convicted the defendant after he pleaded guilty to the five counts preferred against him by the Federal Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the judgement was delivered on Tuesday in the charge number: FHC/KNJ/CR/985/2026, filed by the office of the Attorney-General of three Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice.
The judge sentenced Mr Garba to a 35-year jail term each in counts one and two, a life imprisonment in count three, a d3ath sentence in counts four and five.
“May God have mercy on you,” the judge said.
NAN reports that in count three which attracted a life imprisonment, Garba of Jambutu Park, Jimeta Local Government Area of Adamawa, and others now at large, were alleged to have, sometime in 2014 while at the Nyanya Motor Park, FCT Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, committed the offence.
They were said to have knowingly conspired among themselves “to commit acts of terrorism by planning and coordinating the bombing of Nyanya Motor Park, Abuja through the use of explosives devices, which bombing resulted in the d3ath of over 70 persons and injured several others.”
The offence is punishable under Section 17 of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under same Section of the Act.
In count four which also attracted capital punishment, the terrorist, who stated in his confessional statement that he used to sell tea and bread, with others now at large, were said to have, sometime in 2014 while at the Nyanya Motor Park, FCT Abuja, committed the offence.
They were said to have “knowingly and intentionally caused the detonation of explosive devices at Nyanya Motor Park with intent to cause death and serious bodily harm to members of the public, which act resulted in over 70 (Seventy) persons’ d3ath and injuries to several others.”
The offence is punishable under Section 1(3) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013.
Also in count five which attracted d3ath penalty, the convict and others now at large were said to have, sometime in 2014 while at the Nyanya Motor Park, FCT Abuja, “participated in an act of terrorism which caused the d3ath of over 70 (Seventy) persons by detonating explosives.”
According to the charge, you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(3) of the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013.
Justice Omotosho also handed down various prison terms to some other terrorists who pleaded guilty to the separate terrorism charges filed against them.
Ali Mohammed, in charge number: FHC/KNJ/CR/1020/2026, was committed to a 25-year jail term in count one and 15-year imprisonment in count two.
Isa Saleh was sentenced to a 20-year imprisonment in a one-count charge marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/973/2026.
Tujan Mohammed, in a charge marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/954/2026, also bagged a 20-year jail term in the one count preferred against him by the Federal Government.
For Salisu Bala, the judge convicted and sentenced him to a 20-year imprisonment in count two but discharged and acquitted him in counts one and three in the charge marked: FHC/KNJ/CR/963/2026.
NAN reports that the trial, which usually takes place at Kainji in Niger, was moved to the the Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja.
The AGF, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who led the Federal Government’s team of lawyer for the prosecution, said the government was determined to stamp out terrorism and its related activities from the country.
“We will fight with every inch of our blood to ensure that we make Nigeria a safe haven for everybody,” Fagbemi said.
An angry mob has set a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus ablaze after it reportedly crushed a motorcyclist to death at Ogolonto Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos State.
The incident reportedly triggered an outburst of anger, with some members of the mob attacking the bus driver before police officers and officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) intervened and rescued him unharmed.
NewsClick Nigeria Media reported the incident on X, stating that the motorcyclist was riding alone at the time of the accident.
A video circulating on social media showed the BRT bus engulfed in flames as the fire consumed the vehicle.
The footage captured the intensity of the fire, which left the bus burning by the roadside. However, the circumstances surrounding the crash and the subsequent attack on the vehicle remain unclear.
The incident also raised concerns about the safety of public transport operators and the risk of violence following fatal road accidents, particularly when members of the public resort to taking the law into their own hands.
However, the identity of the deceased motorcyclist, the circumstances that led to the collision and the extent of the damage caused by the fire had not been independently established as of the time of filing this report.
It was also unclear whether any arrests had been made in connection with the incident.
Chaos at Ogolonto, Ikorodu as an angry mob sets a BRT bus on fire after a fatal crash involving a motorcyclist. Security operatives intervened and rescued the driver.#Lagos#Ikorodu#BRTpic.twitter.com/lWTdaPUXvC
Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma have neutralised several Lakurawa terrorists and destroyed their camps during a clearance operation in Waria Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The operation, conducted on Thursday, October 15, also led to the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles from the terrorists’ enclave.
The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lt Col Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.
Danja said troops of Sector 2 advanced through identified terrorist hideouts around Alela, Bilange and Kandam villages towards Waria Forest, where they made contact with the armed group.
According to him, the troops engaged the terrorists in a firefight and overpowered them with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon their positions and flee deeper into the forest.
“Troops subsequently pursued the fleeing terrorists, neutralising some of them in the process,” he said.
Danja added that further exploitation of the area destroyed the terrorists’ camps and their life-support structures, alongside the recovery of weapons and five motorcycles.
He said troops had sustained their operational presence in the area through continued clearance and domination operations aimed at denying the terrorists freedom of movement and preventing them from using the forest as a haven.
“The latest success underscores the commitment of Operation Fansan Yamma to dismantling terrorist enclaves, denying terrorist elements safe havens and restoring lasting peace and security across the Joint Operations Area,” Danja said.
He commended the troops for their courage, resilience and sustained efforts, while urging residents to provide timely and credible information about suspicious movements and activities in their communities.
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has warned that Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province remain major security threats in the sub-region, urging security chiefs to intensify efforts to combat insurgency.
Declaring open a two-day meeting of federal and state security administrators in Yola on Thursday, Fintiri said the threats posed by the groups remained persistent, dynamic and ideological.
“While our gallant armed forces have significantly degraded their conventional capabilities, these insurgents continue to exploit vast rural terrains, asymmetric tactics and cross-border vulnerabilities to strike at soft targets.
“However, let me speak with political candour: we cannot afford the luxury of premature victory speeches. Furthermore, we must confront emerging threats that endanger our socio-economic fabric,” he said.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, said security was not merely about weapons but also grassroots presence, social justice and inclusive governance.
“It was this conviction that drove our historic decision to create seven new emirates and chiefdoms across Adamawa State,” he said.
Fintiri added that the battleground had shifted to digital spaces, where vulnerable youths were targeted for recruitment and misinformation.
He said the security of Adamawa State was inseparable from that of Nigeria and urged the Federal Government to urgently modernise the country’s international borders.
“We need the deployment of advanced surveillance technology, drone coverage, joint border patrols and the expedited establishment of one-stop border posts to control illegal cross-border migration, arms proliferation and smuggling,” he said.
The governor also urged the Federal Government to increase funding for security agencies to enable them to intensify the fight against insecurity.
“Our frontline officers, the police, the military, the Civil Defence, the DSS and Customs, are doing heroic work under difficult conditions.
“However, their operational funding, tactical equipment and welfare packages must be significantly upgraded by the Federal Government,” he said.
To defeat the insurgency, Fintiri called for genuine inter-agency cooperation and an end to rivalry among security services.
He said the operational disconnect between intelligence-gathering units and field tactical teams must be addressed.
“Victory belongs to unity, not institutional ego,” he said.
Fintiri added that hosting the meeting of the nation’s top security policy strategists reflected Adamawa’s progress in restoring peace and stability.
“For us in Adamawa State, hosting this august gathering of the nation’s top security policy strategists is not just an administrative assignment; it is a testament to our transformation.
“A few years ago, convening a gathering of this magnitude in the North-East was met with hesitation. Today, through visionary leadership, community resilience and divine grace, Adamawa stands tall as a beacon of relative peace, stability and democratic consolidation,” he said.
He challenged the security administrators to move beyond what he described as diagnostic speeches and develop an actionable, pragmatic roadmap to address security challenges in the sub-region.
He also advocated the adoption of unified digital freight and transit-tracking platforms across states and national transport corridors to eliminate illegal checkpoints, trace suspicious cargo and secure trade routes.
The governor donated 300 motorcycles and 16 security vehicles to support policing across the state’s 15 chiefdoms and 21 local government areas.
