South Africa’s top court on Friday reinstated a 24-year prison
sentence for Henry Okah who was convicted of a series of terror
attacks in Nigeria eight years ago.
Okah was jailed in 2013 for masterminding several attacks, including
twin bombings which killed 12 people in the Nigerian capital Abuja
during Independence Day celebrations in 2010.
Okah’s appeal was first heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal in 2014,
which overturned four of his 13 terror convictions and reduced his
sentence to 20 years, but the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg
overruled the decision.
“The appeal against his entire conviction is dismissed,” the
Constitutional Court said in its ruling.
“The convictions overturned in the Supreme Court of Appeal must be
reinstated together with the sentences the High Court imposed.”
Okah had repeatedly denied any involvement in the blasts.
