Audio By Carbonatix
Nigerian courts convicted 125 Boko Haram Islamist militants and financiers of a series of terrorism-related offences in a mass trial this week, the attorney-general's office said.
A Boko Haram insurgency has killed thousands of people and displaced millions since it began in 2009, creating a humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria and putting pressure on the government to bring the conflict to an end.
Kamarudeen Ogundele, the spokesman of the Attorney-General's office, said in a statement late on Friday that "they were convicted of charges bordering on terrorism, terrorism financing, rendering material support, and cases relating to International Criminal Courts (ICC) criminality".
The last mass trials of Boko Haram suspects took place between 2017 and 2018, where 163 people were convicted and 887 set free.
Ogundele added that from the previous convictions, 400 defendants who had completed their sentences were moved to a rehabilitation centre known as Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State, northeast Nigeria "for rehabilitation, deradicalisation and subsequent reintegration".
Boko Haram kidnapped more than 270 girls from a school in the northeastern town of Chibok in April 2014, an attack that sparked outrage and gave rise to the global "#Bring Back Our Girls" campaign, though more than half of the girls have returned, many as mothers of multiple children.
The breakdown of the latest convictions showed that 85 peeople were convicted for terrorism financing, 22 for ICC related crimes, while the rest were convicted for terrorism.
Latest Stories
-
India blocks Telegram messaging app until June 22, government says
11 minutes -
Cocoa farmers spared another blow as gov’t rejects price cut despite global slump – COCOBOD
20 minutes -
While Côte d’Ivoire cuts cocoa prices, Ghana holds the line to protect farmers – COCOBOD
38 minutes -
‘We had to save the sector’ – COCOBOD defends unprecedented cocoa price intervention
57 minutes -
Sophia Akuffo didn’t resign over Torkornoo’s removal – Kwakye Ofosu
1 hour -
Government ends diesel fuel relief ahead of June pricing window
1 hour -
Bossman Asare resigned voluntarily, government didn’t pressure him – Kwakye Ofosu
1 hour -
Military deployed to Bawku SHS after student rampage over exam malpractice crackdown
2 hours -
Roads Ministry must disclose full details of road contracts – MFWA
2 hours -
Two jailed over armed robbery attack on New Edubiase fuel station
2 hours -
IAEA backs Ghana’s nuclear readiness amid Africa’s growing energy transition
2 hours -
Tema West MP demands urgent probe into missing Constituency Women’s Organiser
2 hours -
Church of Pentecost Chairman calls on Nkwanta residents to embrace peace
2 hours -
Mahama presides over 48th Change of Guards Parade at the Presidency
2 hours -
Mahama receives letters of credence from seven new envoys
2 hours