Nigerian courts have handed down prison sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years with hard labor to 44 members of the Boko Haram group, convicted of financing terrorist activities.
The convictions were part of a broader set of trials involving 54 defendants before special civilian courts convened at a military base in Kainji, according to a statement from Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre.
Spokesman Abu Michael said Nigeria resumed terrorism-related trials last week after a seven-year hiatus, targeting more than 1,000 suspects. So far, verdicts have been issued in 785 cases, with 10 postponed for future hearings.
Boko Haram has waged a violent insurgency in northeastern Nigeria since 2009, leading to tens of thousands of deaths and displacing millions.
Nigeria continues to face international criticism for shortcomings in combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and remains on the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list.”
