After more than eight years of legal fireworks, a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday sentenced Charles Okah and Obi Nwabueze to life imprisonment after pronouncing them guilty for the October 1, 2010 Independence Day bomb blasts at the Eagle Square in Abuja.

According to the Court, the sentence was in line with the provisions of section 15 (1) (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act, upon which they were charged.

Despite the pleas of their counsels, Emeka Okoroafor and Oghenovo Olemu for the Court to tamper justice with mercy by passing a mitigating sentence, Justice Gabriel Kolawole held that in view of the gravity of the offence and the plight of the families of the victims of the blasts, it would be in the interest of justice to apply the law.

In the six-hour judgment contained in 145 pages, Justice Umar held that the prosecution counsel, Dr Alex Izinyon had proved his case against the accused persons beyond any reasonable doubt therefore the Court’s decision.

Before Wednesday’s judgment, Justice Kolawole had earlier dismissed a no-case submission by the defendants which they had filed after the prosecution called its 17 witnesses and tendered documentary exhibits during the process proving its case.

Okah and Nwabueze, alongside Edmund Ebiware and Tiemkemfa Francis Osvwo (a.k.a. General Gbokos) were first arraigned before the court on December 7, 2010 in connection with the October 1 bombs which killed at least 12 persons and injured several others.

Francis Osvwo later died in detention while Ebiware, who had his trial conducted separately, was convicted in 2013 for the same offences and is currently serving a life sentence.