Convicted Boko Haram kingpin, Kabiru Umar Sokoto, has asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja to overturn his life sentence, insisting his conviction over the 2011 Christmas Day attack in Madalla was wrong and not supported by credible evidence.

Sokoto, through his lawyers, Don Akaegbu & Company, filed an application dated May 13, 2026, seeking leave to file his appeal out of time after missing the statutory deadline for challenging his conviction.

He was convicted on December 20, 2013, by a Federal High Court in Abuja and sentenced to life imprisonment for the bombing of St Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, which killed at least 37 worshippers and injured 57 others.

In the motion before the appellate court, Sokoto asked that his notice of appeal already filed be accepted as properly filed, arguing that his delay was caused by circumstances beyond his control, including prolonged detention, repeated transfers across custodial centres and the death of his lawyers.

The filing states, “The Applicant was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on 20th December, 2013. The Applicant has been continuously incarcerated since then.

“The Applicant was moved across several custodial centres across different States, making access to counsel extremely difficult.

“The Applicant’s trial counsel initiated steps toward appeal but died before perfecting same. Another counsel engaged thereafter also passed away before prosecuting the appeal.”

The application also stressed that Sokoto has remained in custody for over a decade without interruption, making it difficult for him to properly pursue his legal rights within the appeal window.

In an affidavit supporting the motion, his nephew, Lawal Suleiman, said the family struggled to locate him during a visit to the Kirikiri Maximum Security Custodial Facility, Lagos, in March 2026.

Suleiman also claimed Sokoto’s health had worsened significantly due to long incarceration and harsh conditions in custody.

He said, “The conditions of a maximum security custodial facility, combined with his prolonged incarceration, have taken a visible and grievous toll on his physical and psychological well-being.

“During my visit to him in March 2026, I personally observed that the Applicant’s health has deteriorated significantly since his incarceration commenced.”

The family further said Sokoto remains anxious about his elderly parents and insists he has not been able to provide for his household since his imprisonment.

In his appeal grounds, Sokoto is asking the court to set aside the conviction and acquit him, arguing that the prosecution failed to prove any direct link between him and the offences charged.

Part of the notice of appeal reads: “The learned trial Judge erred in law when he held that the prosecution discharged its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt on both counts of the Second Amended Charge, whereas the prosecution demonstrably failed to prove the essential ingredients of either offence against the Appellant.

“On Count One: The prosecution failed to adduce credible and direct evidence establishing that the Appellant committed or facilitated any of the acts of terrorism particularised in the charge.” (The Sun)