The Nigerian government on Tuesday confirmed that a federal high court had sentenced a man, who was responsible for the abduction of more than 200 girls in Chibok, to 15 years in jail, AFP reported. Thirty-five-year-old Haruna Yahaya admitted to the crime during the hearing, a Justice Ministry spokesperson told the news agency.

The court in Niger State’s Wawa Cantonment has been trying hundreds of Boko Haram suspects for the abduction. Yahaya is a prime suspect in the militant group’s attacks in Chibok.

While Yahaya pleaded guilty to the crime, he begged the court for relief while claiming that he was forced to join the militant group. The judge, however, dismissed the accused’s plea for mercy on grounds of his physical disability, local news website Daily Post reported.