Yemisi Izuora
A Federal High Court in Kainji, Niger State, has convicted and
sentenced 45 Boko Haram members to between 3 and 31 years in jail,
following the conclusion of the first phase of the trial during which
575 Boko Haram suspects were arraigned.
In a statement, the Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Court also discharged 468
suspects who had no case to answer.
Thirty-four cases were struck out while 28 suspects were remanded for
trial in Abuja and Minna.
The Court ordered that the 468 discharged persons should undergo
deradicalization and rehabilitation programmes before they are handed
over to their respective state governments.
The trial commenced with the formal remand by the Court of 1,669
suspects for a period of 90 days, with the Court ordering that they be
arraigned within the specified period or released unconditionally.
The Court adjourned the trial of other suspects to January 2018