Nigeria Court Convicts 125 Boko Haram Militants in Mass Trial
A Nigerian court has convicted 125 Boko Haram militants and financiers on various terrorism-related charges. The Attorney General’s office reported that the charges included terrorism, financing terrorism, providing material support, and crimes related to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The two-day mass trial was overseen by five Federal High Court judges at a military detention facility in Kanji, Niger State. Boko Haram’s insurgency, which began in 2009, has led to thousands of deaths and displaced millions, creating a humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria and pressuring the government to end the conflict.
Of the convicted individuals, 85 were found guilty of financing terrorism, 22 of ICC-related crimes, and the rest of terrorism offences, receiving various prison sentences.
The last mass trials of Boko Haram suspects occurred between 2017 and 2018, resulting in 163 convictions and 887 acquittals. In 2014, Boko Haram abducted over 270 girls from a school in Chibok, northeastern Nigeria, sparking the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign led by figures like former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama. While more than 180 girls have been freed or escaped, many remain missing, and those who have returned face significant challenges in their communities.
