Court jails four Boko Haram financiers

A Federal High Court sitting in Dawaki, Abuja, on Monday, convicted four Boko Haram financiers.

The convicts are Modu Aisami, Zana Zarama, Umar Mohammed and Bunu Kame.

A statement by the Special Assistant on Communication and Publicity to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Kamarudeen Ogundele, said the prosecution, led by the AGF and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, secured their convictions after their separate arraignments before Justice Binta Nyako and Justice Emeka Nwite.

The statement said the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges and begged the court for leniency.

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It partly read, “The defence counsel was led by Director, Criminal Justice in Legal Aid Council, F A Bakre.

‘’According to the charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, M. B. Abubakar, Aisami provided funds for the terrorist group by buying food products from the group, having reasonable grounds to believe that the proceeds will be used to commit a terrorist act, therefore committed an offence contrary to Section 13(1)(a)(ii) of the Terrorism Provision Amendment Act, 2013.”

Ogundele said Nyako convicted the defendant having pleaded guilty to counts 2 and 3 of the charges.

“I find him guilty as charged and he is convicted accordingly.

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“I hereby sentence the convict to 20 years imprisonment for each of the offences. They are to run concurrently,” he quoted Nyako as saying.

He said the judge also convicted Zarama and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment for concealing the identity of a Boko Haram member, Modu Sulum.

Ogundele said Nyako added that the jail terms should run from the day the convicts had been in custody.

Nwite, in another trial, convicted the duo of Mohammed and Kame.

Mohammed was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.