VAM News Update

THE Federal Government of Nigeria has secured the conviction of four Boko Haram financiers.

The Boko Haram financiers are Zana Zarama, Modu Aisami, Umar Mohammed and Bunu Kame.

They were convicted and handed prison terms on Monday, after they pleaded guilty to charges that Federal Government preferred against them during a special trial the Federal High Court held at Dawaki in Abuja.

While the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, led the Federal Government’s legal team, the defence counsel was led by the Director, Criminal Justice Department at the Legal Aid Council (LAC), F A Bakre.

The defendants, who were docked before Justice Binta Nyako and Justice Emeka Nwite, pleaded for leniency after the charges were separately read to them.

According to the charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, DPPF, Mr. M. B. Abubakar, one of the defendants, Aisami, provided funds for the terrorist group by buying food products from them.

Aisami was accused to have reasonably known that proceeds from the transactions would be used to commit terrorist act.

He committed an offence contrary to Section 13(1)(a)(ii) of the Terrorism Provision Amendment Act, 2013.

However, delivering her verdict after the defendant admitted that he was guilty of the allegation, trial Justice Nyako convicted him on counts 2 and 3 of the charge.

“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”.