The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) strongly condemns the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division, to grant Kabiru Umar, popularly known as Kabiru Sokoto, additional time to commence an appeal against his 2013 conviction and life sentence over terrorism-related offences connected with the Madalla Catholic Church bombing.
While HURIWA recognises the constitutional right of an accused or convicted person to pursue available judicial remedies, we are deeply concerned that the reopening of the procedural window in this case could ultimately provide a pathway for a convicted terrorism offender to seek release from a life sentence imposed for offences connected to one of Nigeria’s most horrific attacks on civilians.
The December 2011 bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, on Christmas Day claimed dozens of lives and left many others injured. The victims were ordinary worshippers who had gathered to observe a religious celebration.
For HURIWA, the enormity of the tragedy demands that the state must demonstrate the strongest possible commitment to justice, accountability and the protection of citizens against terrorism.
We are therefore particularly disturbed by the prospect of a further legal process that could eventually lead to the release of a person already convicted by a competent court in connection with terrorism-related offences.
HURIWA: Court Decision Raises Serious Public-Interest Questions
The Court of Appeal has granted Sokoto 21 days to file his Notice and Grounds of Appeal against the Federal High Court judgment delivered on December 20, 2013.
We emphasise that the appellate court has not overturned his conviction, nor has it ruled that the grounds of his proposed appeal have merit.
Nevertheless, the development raises legitimate public-interest questions.
Why should a person serving a life sentence arising from a terrorism-related conviction be given another opportunity to challenge the judgment more than a decade after conviction?
What safeguards will ensure that the interests of the victims, their families and the wider Nigerian public are adequately represented throughout the appellate process?
And, most importantly, if the conviction is ultimately upheld, what position will the Federal Government take regarding the adequacy of the sentence in view of the gravity of terrorism offences?
These questions deserve clear answers.
Madalla Victims Must Not Be Forgotten
HURIWA rejects any approach to terrorism justice that appears to place the rights of convicted offenders above the rights of their victims.
The victims of the Madalla bombing cannot speak for themselves. Their families continue to bear the consequences of the attack, while the Nigerian state has a continuing responsibility to ensure that the pursuit of justice does not lose sight of those who were killed and injured.
The organisation is particularly concerned that repeated instances of perceived leniency in dealing with violent terrorism could weaken public confidence in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism justice system.
The subsequent massacre at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, in 2022, in which scores of worshippers were killed, remains another painful reminder of the devastating consequences of terrorism against places of worship.
HURIWA therefore cautions against any judicial or governmental action that could be interpreted as diminishing the seriousness of terrorism directed against innocent civilians.
We Are Not Implicating the Vice President
HURIWA recalls that Kabiru Sokoto was arrested at the Borno State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja during the period when the current Vice President, Kashim Shettima, was Governor of Borno State.
We make it categorically clear that HURIWA is not accusing the Vice President of having any involvement whatsoever in the latest Court of Appeal decision.
Our reference to the circumstances of Sokoto’s arrest is solely intended to place the history of the case in context.
The present issue concerns the administration of justice and the responsibility of the Nigerian state to ensure that terrorism cases are handled with the seriousness they deserve.
Federal Government Must Protect Public Interest
HURIWA calls on the Federal Government, through the appropriate legal authorities, to carefully review the implications of the appeal and take every lawful step necessary to protect the interests of the victims and the Nigerian public.
If the prosecution is satisfied that the existing life sentence does not adequately reflect the gravity of the offences for which Sokoto was convicted, the government should explore every constitutionally and legally available avenue to challenge or seek appropriate review of the sentence.
We stress, however, that any such action must be pursued strictly within the framework of Nigerian law and constitutional safeguards.
The fight against terrorism cannot be won through impunity, selective justice or institutional weakness.
No Dancing on the Graves of Victims
The reopening of a procedural avenue for appeal must not become an occasion for forgetting the victims of the Madalla attack.
HURIWA considers it unacceptable for the families of victims of terrorism to watch convicted offenders pursue freedom while the memory of those killed gradually disappears from public attention.
The Nigerian justice system must demonstrate that the lives of innocent worshippers matter.
We therefore call on the Federal Government, the Ministry of Justice and relevant security and judicial institutions to ensure that the forthcoming appellate proceedings are handled with the highest level of diligence, transparency and respect for the victims.
HURIWA also urges the Court of Appeal to give full consideration to all relevant legal and evidentiary issues should the substantive appeal eventually come before it.
Justice must be done—not only for the convicted person, but also for the victims whose lives were violently taken.
Signed:
Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
National Coordinator
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA). Friday, 4th September 2026.
