The Federal Government has said that the six Nigerians convicted for terrorism in the United Arab Emirates can appeal their conviction to the UAE Supreme Court.
The government noted that the convicts lost their appeal but noted that they could file a fresh appeal to the apex court in the Emirates if they wished.
The men who were convicted for funding Boko Haram allegedly made cash transfers in favour of the sect to the tune of $782, 000.
Daily Trust reported that their relations claimed that the men were set up.
The report further stated that two of the convicts, Surajo Abubakar Muhammad and Saleh Yusuf Adamu were 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.
But commenting on the development, the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the men could approach the UAE Supreme Court “if they so desired.”
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 PUNCH
