Four Boko Haram financiers 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 Federal High Court in Dawaki, Abuja.
According to charges filed by Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. M. B. Abubakar, one of the defendants, Modu Aisami, was accused of providing funds for the terrorist group by purchasing food products from them. The charge alleged that Aisami reasonably knew that 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 Binta Nyako convicted him on counts 2 and 3 of the charge.
The trial, presided over by Justice Binta Nyako and Justice Emeka Nwite, saw the defendants pleading for leniency after charges were read to them.
The verdict resulted in a 20-year imprisonment for each offense, with sentences to run concurrently. This conviction, TheMediaGood Newspaper can report, marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in Nigeria
The Federal Government of Nigeria’s legal team was led by Minister of Justice and AGF, Lateef Fagbemi SAN while the defense was led by F. A Bakre, Director of Criminal Justice Department of the Legal Aid Council.