Federal Court In UAE Convicts 6 Nigerians Over ‘Boko Haram Funding’—–Six Nigerians alleged to have been sponsoring the operations of terrorist group, Boko Haram has been convicted and sentenced by an Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal.
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Two of the convicts, Surajo Abubakar Muhammad and Saleh Yusuf Adamu were sentenced to life imprisonment while the other four, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, AbdurRahman Ado Musa, Bashir Ali Yusuf and Muhammad Ibrahim Isa were each handed a 10-year sentence.
According to reports, they were involved in different cash transfers allegedly in favour of Boko Haram to the tune of USD782, 000.00 between 2015 and 2016, even though their associates insisted that the transactions were for legitimate business.
They were apprehended between April 16 and 17, 2017, and their homes searched after a search warrant was issued by the National Security Prosecution office dated April 16, 2017.
One of the convicted, Alhaji Sa’idu who is allegedly based in Nigeria, is said to be a senior undercover Boko Haram member responsible for facilitating the group’s access to funds from its sponsors.
Another person in some of the transitions is one Alhaji Ashiru, who is said to be “a Nigerian government official” and yet a senior undercover Boko Haram member who facilitated the transfer of misappropriated public funds to the group.
“I think Alhaji Sa’idu is just Nom de guerre who used the gullibilit
y of the victims to achieve his aim. They were into bureau de change business, receiving and sending monies on behalf of others.
“From what I understand, they have been doing the business for long and along the line, they fell into a trap. I am not siding with them or trying to indict them but generally, there is ignorance on their side.”
Families of the convicts however said that their relatives were most likely deceived in the course of their routine bureau de change transactions to the extent that some of the transactions they facilitated turned out to be for proceeds meant for Boko Haram activities.
Speaking for the Nigerian Government, The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami said:
“Nigerian government is working but it doesn’t have the exclusive control, it has to rely on the information provided by UAE. So, it is not in control of the speed of response or action.
“We are working on both the issues that they did not receive a fair hearing and that they were alleged to have supported Boko Haram activities.”
On alleged undercover agents who are said to be at large, Malami said;
“Since the relationship involves issues of money between Nigeria and UAE, the Nigerian government has equally instructed the existing agencies of government to embark on an investigation on that and we have gone far.
“We await further intelligence from the UAE, which has relevance to the conviction and trial in order to do what we can as a follow-up to take the next line of action.”
