Kabiru Umar, also known as Kabiru Sokoto, who was convicted over the 2011 Christmas Day bombing linked to Boko Haram, has earned a Biology degree while serving his prison sentence, his lawyers said in one of the documents shared with PREMIUM TIMES.

In a press statement announcing Mr Sokoto’s appeal against his 2013 conviction, his legal team said he remained committed to “personal growth and rehabilitation” during incarceration, noting that he successfully obtained a Biology degree from the National Open University of Nigeria.

The statement, dated 14 May and signed by Lagos-based law firm Don Akaegbu & Company, described the achievement as evidence of Mr Sokoto’s “continued effort toward self-improvement despite the circumstances.”

Kabiru Sokoto was convicted by the Federal High Court in Abuja on 20 December 2013.

However, his lawyers argued that the charges against him did not specifically accuse him of carrying out or masterminding the bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, which killed about 35 worshippers and injured several others on Christmas Day in 2011.

According to the lawyers, the relevant charge alleged that Mr Sokoto had prior information about the attack and failed to disclose it to security agencies. They said the distinction between direct participation and alleged prior knowledge forms a key issue in the appeal now before the Court of Appeal.

The appeal, filed after what the lawyers described as delays caused by circumstances beyond Mr Sokoto’s control, challenges the admissibility and credibility of the evidence used to secure his conviction. Among these challenges, they said, include deaths of his two previous lawyers, repeated custodial transfers and his family’s severe “financial constraints.”

The legal team also questioned whether the trial court properly evaluated the defence presented during the proceedings.

The lawyers urged the public to allow the judicial process to run its course, insisting that criminal responsibility should be determined strictly on the basis of evidence presented in court rather than public perception.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram convict Kabiru Sokoto appeals 2013 life sentence for Catholic church bombing near Abuja

Kabiru Sokoto was initially arrested on 14 January 2012 at the Borno State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, alongside a serving military officer. He was then taken to Abaji (also in Abuja) by police officers investigating the case to search a house believed to be owned by him.

He escaped from police custody, leading to the suspension and house arrest of Zakari Biu, then-head of the Zone 7 Police Command in Abuja, overseeing Boko Haram investigations at the Criminal Investigation Department. Before the incident, Mr Biu supervised the team that lost Mr Sokoto and was detained at an undisclosed location, alongside other junior police officers involved in the case.

The escape also prompted then-President Goodluck Jonathan to issue a 24-hour ultimatum to the then-Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hafiz Ringim, to produce the Boko Haram suspect. Mr Ringim failed to do so and was later retired.

The State Security Services (SSS) said Kabiru Sokoto was re-arrested in February 2012, following what it described as a gunfight between its operatives and members of his gang in Taraba Satet.

He was subsequently sentenced by the Federal High Court in Abuja on 20 December 2013. The suspected terror kingpin was sentenced on two terrorism charges, including one punishable with life imprisonment under Section 15(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act 2004. The second charge attracted 10 years’ imprisonment under Section 7(1) under Terrorism Act, 2011.

Privacy will be a major theme when Apple unveils a new version of Siri at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

The Siri relaunch is widely seen as Apple’s big chance to reestablish its relevance in artificial intelligence. As part of that effort, company executives will argue that they’re taking a more privacy-friendly approach than most other AI companies, Gurman said.

Apple will reportedly launch the first standalone Siri app, powered by Google Gemini and offering users a chatbot experience reminiscent of ChatGPT.  But compared to those other chatbots, the app is supposed to have more limitations on how long user information can be used and stored.

For example, Gurman said Siri could include a feature similar to the Messages app, allowing users to automatically delete conversations after 30 days or one year — or to keep them indefinitely.

Gurman also suggested that Apple might be emphasizing privacy as a way to excuse Siri’s shortcomings compared to competing products — and that this emphasis might obscure the fact that Google is handling some the security.