Mass trial in Nigeria results in conviction of 125 Boko Haram Islamist insurgents

Nigerian courts recently convicted 125 Boko Haram militants and financiers in a mass trial for various terrorism-related offenses. The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions of displaced people in northeastern Nigeria. The convicted individuals faced charges including terrorism, terrorism financing, rendering material support, and ICC criminality. Previous mass trials in 2017 and 2018 led to 163 convictions and 887 individuals being released. Following these convictions, 400 defendants who completed their sentences were moved to a rehabilitation center for deradicalization and reintegration. Boko Haram gained international attention in 2014 when they kidnapped over 270 girls from a school in Chibok, sparking the global “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign. While some of the girls have returned, many have returned as mothers. The latest convictions included 85 individuals for terrorism financing, 22 for ICC related crimes, and the rest for terrorism. The government’s efforts to prosecute and convict militants and financiers are part of a larger strategy to bring an end to the conflict and address the humanitarian crisis in the region.

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