Cape Town – Three members of the “Boko Haram” criminal gang who terrorised Gauteng and Limpopo communities have been sentenced to a combined 384 years with each serving 128 years.
The Limpopo Division of the High Court reportedly convicted the trio of 25 cases committed in their string of criminal activities that lasted two months in 2017.
In a statement, Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the convicts Ndou Lukase Rembuluwani, 29, Ndou Ben, 29, and Khoza Ngobeni Small, 28, terrorised residents from the Seshego and Westenburg policing.
Crimes committed included murder, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition, house breaking with an intention to rob, robbery with aggravating circumstances, malicious damage to property, theft and house robberies.
The suspects were also convicted of contravening immigration laws for being in South Africa illegally.
Mojapelo said that the police caught up with the suspects following a failed house robbery that left one of the suspects injured after a shootout with the victim.
#sapsLIM “Boko Haram” trio sentenced to an effective 128 years’ imprisonment each after they were convicted on a total of 25 cases committed in Seshego and Westenburg policing areas committed during Sept and Oct 2017. #TrioCrimes #EndGBV #Sentencing MEhttps://t.co/jWWvSLEDMp pic.twitter.com/s9lv1Gql1u
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) June 29, 2022
“A group of four suspects entered the victims’ premises at one of the local plots and surrounded the house. They were all armed with firearms. The victim noticed the suspects on CCTV and alerted his wife and kids to hide and notified the police,
“The victim fired a warning shot and the suspects also fired shots randomly at the house. Apparently, one of the suspects was gunned down and the other three fled, leaving him behind,” said Mojapelo.
He said the suspects allegedly sent their girlfriends to check if their accomplice was brought in at the hospital.
One of the girlfriends reportedly led police to the suspects’ hideout place in Seshego.
“The three suspects were arrested and police recovered some of the stolen property, including firearms and ammunition. They were linked to more cases.
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“The court ultimately sentenced the three accused to effective 128 years imprisonment each and also declared them unfit to possess a firearm,” Mojapelo said.
In April this year, Gauteng police arrested another member of the criminal gang in connection with three business robberies in Pretoria.
Boko Haram has allegedly been involved in a spate of robberies, as well as extortion, intimidation and other serious and violent crimes in Mamelodi and surrounding areas
The criminal gang is also been linked to a series of gang-related killings which left nine dead including alleged gang leader, Phillip Given Mnguni who was reportedly assassinated late last year.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
