Politics Terror: 125 Boko Haram supporters convicted in Nigeria
A special court in Nigeria has sentenced 125 people in connection with terrorism allegations. 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.
27.07.2024, 13:34
SDA
Nigeria's Attorney General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi announced that 85 people had been convicted of financing terrorism. A further 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 murder, torture or rape. The other defendants were sentenced for various terrorism offenses.
More than 35,000 people killed in conflict with Boko Haram
The statement said that the defendants "were sentenced to various prison terms". No further details were given. The trial took place at 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.
Boko Haram (meaning "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 became known worldwide in 2014 for the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls. Although Boko Haram has lost territory, the Nigerian military has not yet succeeded in containing the insurgency.
