A man involved in the 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in northeast Nigeria has been jailed for 15 years, the government confirmed on Tuesday. Haruna Yahaya, 35, admitted being involved in the abduction when he appeared at a special court trying hundreds of Boko Haram suspects on Monday, a justice ministry spokesman told AFP. “It is true that a member of Boko Haram who took part in the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls was given 15 years jail,” justice ministry spokesman Salihu Isah said. Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war in its quest to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, seizing thousands of women, young girls and men of fighting age. “But the court dismissed his plea on the grounds that he had the option not to take part in Boko Haram activities… His conviction starts from the time of sentence,” said Isah.

Source: The Guardian February 13, 2018 09:22 UTC