The Nigerian government has said that more than 200 people have been convicted on various charges related to their involvement with militant Islamist group Boko Haram.
The justice ministry said on Monday in a statement that “Most of them were convicted for professing to belong to the terrorist group, (or) concealing information about the group which they knew or believe to be of material assistance that could lead to the arrest, prosecution or conviction of Boko Haram members.”
Jail terms according to the ministry will range from three to 60 years.
On Sunday the ministry also said in a statement that 475 Boko Haram suspects who have been facing trial have been ordered to be released by a court in Nigeria to enable them access rehabilitation services.
The ministry said that “The prosecution counsel could not charge them (with) any offence due to lack of sufficient evidence against them.”
Last week hundreds of these suspects stood trial for various offences with the courts convicting one person for the kidnapping of Chibok schoolgirls in 2014.
The suspects who have been standing trial appeared in open court, after rights groups criticised earlier hearings in which more than 1,000 people stood trial in secret.
Source: Africafeeds.com
