Most of the defendants in the first mass trial in years are said to be members of the jihadist group Boko Haram, which is known for mass kidnappings and suicide attacks in the West African country.
- Read more: At least 18 dead in several suicide attacks in Nigeria
Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi announced that 85 people had been convicted of financing terrorism. Another 22 had been found guilty of crimes under the statutes of the International Criminal Court, such as crimes against humanity or war crimes such as killing, torture or rape. The verdicts against the remaining defendants were therefore for various terrorism offenses.
“Various prison sentences”
The statement said the defendants “were sentenced to various prison terms.” No further details were given. The trial took place in a specially set up court in a military barracks in Kainji, in the northern state of Niger, where the defendants were previously detained. The last mass trials of this kind against suspected Boko Haram members took place between 2017 and 2018.
- You may also be interested in: Nigeria: More than 200 kidnapped children and school employees released
Boko Haram (which means “Western education is a sin”) began a violent campaign in northeast Nigeria in 2009 to introduce a strict Islamic theocracy in Nigeria. They repeatedly carry out suicide attacks and also kidnap children and women to exploit them as fighters or slaves or to force them into marriage.
More than 35,000 people have been killed in this conflict, while more than two million people have been displaced. The group gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 when it kidnapped 276 schoolgirls. Although Boko Haram has lost territory, the Nigerian military has so far been unable to contain the insurgency.
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