Nigerian Henry
Okah has been jailed for 24 years by the South Gauteng High Court in
Johannesburg earlier on Tuesday.
"Effectively,
the accused [Okah] is therefore sentenced to 24 years imprisonment," Judge
Neels Claassen said as he handed down sentence.
On 21 January,
Okah was found guilty on 13 counts of terrorism, including engaging in
terrorist activities, conspiracy to engage in terrorist activities, and
delivering, placing, and detonating an explosive device.
The charges
related to two car bombs in Abuja, Nigeria, in which 12 people were killed and
36 injured on 1 October 2010, the anniversary of the country's independence.
The second bombing
took place in Warri on 15 March 2010 at a post amnesty dialogue meeting. One
person was killed and 11 seriously injured.
In both bombings,
two car bombs went off minutes apart in both places. The cars were parked in
close proximity to each other.
Claassen sentenced
Okah to 12 years imprisonment for each of the bombings and 13 years for the
threats made to the South African government after his arrest in October 2010.
The 13 years would
run concurrently with the 24 years.
In January, during
judgment Claassen said the State had proved Okah's guilt beyond a reasonable
doubt, and his failure to testify meant the evidence against him remained
uncontested.
Okah has denied
any involvement, claiming the charges against him were politically motivated.
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