44 individuals have been sentenced to prison for financing the Boko Haram jihadist group. The convictions, handed down on Saturday, come after years of stalled prosecutions and mark a significant step in Nigeria’s efforts to clamp down on those enabling terrorism behind the scenes.
According to Abu Michael, spokesman for Nigeria’s counterterrorism centre, the sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years of hard labour were delivered by four specially-constituted civilian courts located within a military base in Kainji, Niger State. The convicted individuals were part of a group of 54 suspects arraigned last week as Nigeria resumed trials that had been suspended for seven years.
The trials are part of Nigeria’s broader legal offensive against Boko Haram, the Islamist insurgent group responsible for more than 40,000 deaths and the displacement of two million people since launching its campaign in 2009 to establish an Islamic caliphate in northeastern Nigeria.
Abu Michael revealed that, with these latest convictions, Nigeria has now secured a total of 785 terrorism-related convictions. The remaining 10 suspects from this group of 54 will be tried at a later date.
The country’s renewed focus on legal accountability comes as it remains under international scrutiny. Nigeria is currently on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list” for deficiencies in combating money laundering and terrorist financing—alongside countries such as South Sudan and South Africa.
This is not the first large-scale trial related to Boko Haram. In 2017, Nigeria conducted mass trials that resulted in the convictions of over 200 fighters, with sentences ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty. Those charges included abductions, civilian killings, and the destruction of religious and public sites.
However, the legal process has faced criticism. Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned the Nigerian military for arbitrary arrests and the prolonged detention of suspects without trial or legal representation.
As Nigeria continues its 16-year counter-insurgency campaign, these convictions reflect a renewed commitment to justice, but also underline the need for a more transparent and rights-based approach to combating terrorism.Nigeria
