Nigeria court convicts 125 Boko Haram Islamist militants

125 Boko Haram Islamist militants and financiers in Nigeria have been convicted by a court of various terrorism-related offenses, including terrorism, terrorism financing, providing material support, and International Criminal Court-related crimes.

The trial, which took place over two days, was overseen by five Federal High Court judges at a military detention center in Kanji, Niger State. Since 2009, the Boko Haram insurgency has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions of people being displaced, leading to a humanitarian crisis in the northeast of Nigeria.

The Nigerian government has been under pressure to end the conflict. Of those convicted, 85 were found guilty of terrorism financing, 22 of ICC-related crimes, and the rest of terrorism offenses. They received varying jail sentences.

Mass trials of Boko Haram suspects had previously taken place between 2017 and 2018, with 163 individuals convicted and 887 others released. In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped over 270 girls from a school in Chibok, sparking the global campaign to #BringBackOurGirls, supported by figures such as Michelle Obama. While some girls have been rescued or escaped, many are still missing, and those who have returned home face challenges reintegrating into their communities.