125 Boko Haram terrorists and financiers have been convicted in a resumed mass trial held in Kainji, Niger state.
The trials, which took place from Tuesday to Wednesday, were presided over by five Federal High Court judges, led by Justice Binta Nyako.
The convicted individuals faced charges related to terrorism, terrorism financing, rendering material support, and cases pertaining to International Criminal Court (ICC) criminality.
The trials were held under the Giwa Project Kainji Phase Five, with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), superintending over the trial in conjunction with the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The prosecution team was led by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar, while the defense team was led by Mr. Abdulfatai Bakre from the Legal Aids Council. International observers, including the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), were also in attendance.
The courts convicted 85 individuals for terrorism financing, 22 for ICC-related crimes, and others for terrorism, sentencing them to various jail terms. Notably, 400 defendants who have completed their sentences have been moved to Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State for rehabilitation, deradicalization, and subsequent reintegration.
