ABUJA, July 27 – This week, Nigerian courts convicted 125 Boko Haram militants and financiers for various terrorism-related offenses, as announced by the attorney-general’s office. The convictions are part of ongoing efforts to address the humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram insurgency, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions since 2009.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Kamarudeen Ogundele, spokesperson for the attorney-general’s office, stated on Friday that those convicted faced charges related to terrorism, terrorism financing, providing material support, and crimes associated with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The last mass trials of Boko Haram suspects occurred between 2017 and 2018, resulting in 163 convictions and 887 acquittals. Ogundele noted that 400 individuals who had completed their sentences from these previous trials were sent to Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State for rehabilitation, deradicalization, and reintegration.
Boko Haram gained international notoriety in April 2014 when it kidnapped more than 270 girls from a school in Chibok, prompting the global “#BringBackOurGirls” campaign. While over half of the kidnapped girls have since returned, many are now mothers.
In the recent convictions, 85 individuals were found guilty of terrorism financing, 22 for ICC-related crimes, and the remainder for other terrorism-related charges.
