BOKO Haram terrorist Kabiru Sokoto jailed for life over his masterminding of the Madalla bombing on Christmas Day in 2011 has written a formal appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan asking for a presidential pardon. In December 20 2013, Sokoto was jailed for life by the Federal High Court in Abuja after being convicted of carrying out the gruesome attack. He had been found guilty of facilitating terrorism by masterminding the December 25, 2011 bombing of St Theresa’s Catholic Church Madalla, in Niger State. In his notice of appeal dated January 17, 2014, which he filed before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, Mr Sokoto faulted the judgment of the high court, which he said was tantamount to a miscarriage of justice against him. His appeal was rejected and having exhausted the legal process, he has now written to President Goodluck Jonathan asking for a presidential pardon. Sokoto's lawyer, Sheriff Okoh, said that his client was innocent of the offences he was convicted of. In his letter, Mr Okoh faulted the process leading to his client’s conviction, saying that Sokoto had offered to help government to solve the Boko Haram crisis in the country. His appeal letter read in part, “Your Excellency sir, an innocent man was convicted by the court on the date aforementioned. It is for this singular reason that we are applying to you for presidential pardon in the circumstance pursuant to your exclusive legitimate constitutional powers as enshrined in your golden conscience and under Section 175(a) and (b) of the Constitution. “Your Excellency sir, we are applying for respite and pardon for the
convicted felon Kabiru Umar (alias Kabiru Sokoto) because we have absolute faith in your compassion and highest sense of fairness, equity and justice first as a God-fearing man and next, as the leader of the most compassionate nation on earth. Had Kabiru Sokoto been sentenced in open court for the corporate acts of Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation, we would not have spared a thought to make this application but he was sentenced alone for acts committed by other members of Boko Haram (an organisation that was only proscribed after his arrest, detention and the making of his no-case submission before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.)” In the letter, Sokoto also offered to help to resolve the Boko Haram crisis if his request for a pardon was granted by the president. In his words, he pledged to work for the peaceful, united, symbiotic and mutual coexistence of all Nigerians as brothers and sisters under a fair and just leader.
