Four Boko Haram financiers have been convicted by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Zana Zarama, Modu Aisami, Umar Mohammed, and Bunu Kame are the funders of Boko Haram.
They were convicted and sentenced to prison on Monday after pleading guilty to charges brought by the Federal Government at a special trial held at Dawaki in Abuja by the Federal High Court.
While the Federal Government’s legal team was led by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the defence counsel was led by F A Bakre, Director, Criminal Justice Department of the Legal Aid Council (LAC).
After the allegations were read to them separately, the defendants prayed for leniency before Justice Binta Nyako and Justice Emeka Nwite.
According to the accusation filed by the Federation’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. M. B. Abubakar, one of the defendants, Aisami, contributed cash for the terrorist group by purchasing food from them.
Aisami was charged of knowing or should have known that the proceeds of the transactions will be used to perpetrate a terrorist attack.
He broke the law in violation of Section 13(1)(a)(ii) of the Terrorism Provision Amendment Act of 2013.
However, once the defendant admitted to being guilty of the crime, trial Justice Nyako convicted him on counts 2 and 3 of the indictment.
“I find him guilty as charged and he is convicted accordingly,” She held.
“I hereby sentence the convict to 20 years imprisonment for each of the offence. They are to run concurrently.”