Six Nigerians convicted for sponsoring terrorism in the United Arab Emirates can appeal their conviction at the UAE Supreme Court, the Nigerian government said, Monday, as the Nigerian Senate prepares to open investigation into the allegations.
The men were convicted for funding Boko Haram as they were alleged to have made cash transfers to the terrorist’s organization up to the tune of $782,000. The families of the convicted men have reportedly refuted the allegations.
Two of the convicts, Surajo Abubakar Muhammad and Saleh Yusuf Adamu were reportedly sentenced to life imprisonment while the remaining four, Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, AbdurRahman Ado Musa, Bashir Ali Yusuf and Muhammad Ibrahim Isa were handed ten-year imprisonment, respectively.
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Reacting to the development, the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, acknowledged the conviction of the Nigerians, but said the men could approach the UAE Supreme Court “if they so desired” to upturn the judgement.
Dabiri-Erewa in a tweet on Monday stated, “They can approach the Supreme Court if they so desire as we continue to appeal to Nigerians all over the world to desist from crime and criminality. The case had been in court since 2015.”
The spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ferdinand Nwonye, said the government would be exploring various options including diplomatic avenues to help the defendants but noted that there was no official position on the case for now.
The Nigerian Senate through Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, said the upper chamber will open an investigation into the allegations of funding Boko Haram by the Nigerians.
Bamidele, speaking with reporters on Monday, however, noted that the committee was unaware of the recent arrest and imprisonment of the six persons.
However, the committee was ready to find out the true position of things.
“These are some of the issues before us as a committee.
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“It’s not just the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, the House Committee on Justice is also working with us on this matter,” he said.
