From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Federal Government has secured 653 convictions in the ongoing mass trial of terrorism suspects before the Federal High Court, with 1,060 suspects brought forward for the latest phase of the exercise.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), disclosed this on Friday during a press conference, describing the current phase as the largest since the mass trials commenced.
The 11th phase of the exercise, which began on October 19 and is scheduled to run until October 24, is the third phase conducted this year.
According to Fagbemi, the court had, as of 12:15pm on Friday, handled 880 cases out of the 1,060 suspects listed for trial. He said 653 of the cases had resulted in convictions, while seven suspects were acquitted and 27 discharged.
The AGF, however, stressed that the figures were provisional, as proceedings were still ongoing and the final statistics would be released after the conclusion of the exercise.
“This is the third phase this year alone. But generally, this is the 11th phase. That is if you consider everything since we started. For this 11th phase, we have 1,060 suspects brought for trial.
“We are not through with it. As at quarter past 12 today, we have had about 880 trials. Of these 880, 653 have been convicted, seven acquitted, 27 discharged.
“But by tomorrow, when we finish, I will be able to give, or we will be able to give, the final figure. We would also observe that this appears to be the largest since we started,” the AGF said.
Fagbemi attributed the progress recorded in the trials to the cooperation of the judiciary, prosecution and defence lawyers, as well as security and other relevant agencies.
He particularly commended the judges sitting under the leadership of Justice Binta Nyako, who, he said, had been holding forth for the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.
The minister also acknowledged the contributions of the Office of the National Security Adviser, Department of State Services, military, police, correctional centres and the Legal Aid Council.
He said the collaboration among the various institutions had been critical to the prosecution of terrorism-related offences and the speedy disposal of cases.
The AGF also clarified that the Legal Aid Council was not the only institution providing legal representation for the defendants.
He said lawyers from the private Bar had also participated in the proceedings, adding that defence counsel had engaged with suspects ahead of their trials.
According to him, lawyers had visited detention facilities, interacted with the suspects and prepared them for the court proceedings.
The involvement of both public and private defence counsel, he said, was part of the process of ensuring that defendants were properly represented.
Fagbemi further stressed that deradicalisation remained an important component of the government’s response to terrorism cases, particularly for suspects who are discharged and subsequently released.
He said such suspects would be required to undergo the appropriate deradicalisation process before their reintegration into society.
“Deradicalization is an aspect of the exercise. There’s no way you can be discharged without, you know, going through that recommendation. You must be deradicalised,” he said.
He explained that the objective was to address the factors that allegedly drew the suspects into extremist activities and reduce the risk of them returning to such activities after their release.
“You know, what took you there in the first instance, there must be a system to let you, you know, regret the action you have taken, so that when you get back to society, you will be able to fit in with society and continue your daily life,” he added.
The mass trial of terrorism suspects was initiated by the Federal Government to accelerate the prosecution of large numbers of detainees facing terrorism-related charges and address delays in the criminal justice process.
The cases are heard in phases before the Federal High Court, with the judiciary, prosecution, defence counsel, security agencies, correctional authorities, and other stakeholders working together to process the cases.
The current exercise is the 11th phase since the mass trials began and the third conducted in 2026. With 1,060 suspects listed, it is the largest phase recorded so far.
As of Friday afternoon, 880 cases had been heard, producing 653 convictions, seven acquittals and 27 discharges. The final figures are expected after the remaining proceedings are concluded.
