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The Nigerian Government has successfully secured the conviction of four individuals identified as Boko Haram financiers.
The convicted individuals, namely Zana Zarama, Modu Aisami, Umar Mohammed, and Bunu Kame, were sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to charges brought against them during a special trial held at the Federal High Court in Dawaki, Abuja.
The trial, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako and Justice Emeka Nwite, saw the defendants pleading for leniency after the charges were read to them. The Federal Government’s legal team, led by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, presented the case, while the defense counsel was led by F A Bakre, the Director of the Criminal Justice Department at the Legal Aid Council (LAC). Advertisements
According to the charges filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. M. B. Abubakar, one of the defendants, Aisami, was accused of providing funds for the terrorist group by purchasing food products from them.
The charge alleged that Aisami reasonably knew that the proceeds from these transactions would be used to commit terrorist acts, contravening Section 13(1)(a)(ii) of the Terrorism Provision Amendment Act, 2013. Upon Aisami’s admission of guilt, Justice Nyako convicted him on counts 2 and 3 of the charge.
The verdict resulted in a 20-year imprisonment for each offense, with the sentences to run concurrently. This conviction marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in Nigeria.