Nigeria Sentences 44 People for Financing Boko Haram

Edited By: Aminata Diallo

Nigeria has sentenced 44 individuals to prison terms ranging from 10 to 30 years with hard labor for financing terrorist activities linked to the Boko Haram insurgency, according to an official statement issued on Saturday, July 12.

The convictions came following trials of 54 suspects held at special civilian courts in Kainji, eastern Nigeria, said Abu Michael, spokesperson for the country’s Counter-Terrorism Centre. These proceedings mark the resumption of mass trials that had been on hold for seven years due to procedural delays and security challenges.

Since the launch of such trials in October 2017, authorities have handled a total of 785 terrorism-related cases. The Boko Haram conflict, which began over 16 years ago, has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced nearly 2 million, according to the United Nations. The Nigerian government continues its efforts to restore security in the northeast, a region plagued by extremist violence and humanitarian crises.