A court in Nigeria has convicted 125 Boko Haram Islamist militants and financiers on various terrorism-related offences.
The Attorney General’s office stated that the charges included “bordering on terrorism, terrorism financing, rendering material support, and International Criminal Court-related crimes.”
The mass two-day trial was overseen by five Federal High Court judges at a military detention facility in Kainji, Niger State.
Since the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009, thousands have been killed, and millions displaced. This has led to a humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria, pressuring the government to resolve the conflict.
Of the 125 convicted, 85 were found guilty of terrorism financing, 22 for ICC-related crimes, and the remaining defendants for other terrorism offences. They were sentenced to various jail terms.
The last mass trials of Boko Haram suspects took place between 2017 and 2018, where 163 people were convicted and 887 set free.
In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped over 270 girls from a school in Chibok, northeastern Nigeria. The abductions triggered a global campaign, #BringBackOurGirls, endorsed by former United States First Lady Michelle Obama. More than 180 of the abducted girls have since been freed or escaped, while many remain missing. Those who returned often face numerous challenges, including reintegration into their communities and dealing with the trauma of their captivity
