Nigeria hands down 150 terrorism convictions in first 48 hours of mass trials
Boubacar Sani – Our correspondent from Nigeria
The federal government issued in NigeriaAround 150 convictions on terrorism-related charges were handed down in the first 48 hours of its latest nationwide mass trials, indicating an intensification of its campaign against insurgency and terrorism crimes across the country.
The Attorney General of the Union and Minister of Justice, Latif Fajbemi (a prominent lawyer), revealed this development on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where several terrorism cases are being heard simultaneously before 10 judges.
According to the Attorney General, the ongoing fourth phase of terrorism trials under the current administration recorded about 160 cases on its opening day, resulting in about 150 convictions.
“We conducted about 160 trials yesterday. I believe we issued about 150 convictions,” Fegbemi told reporters after reviewing the proceedings. He revealed that an additional 300 cases were scheduled for review on Tuesday, with about 84 more expected to be completed before the end of the day.
He added: “Whatever we can do, and wherever we stop today, we will continue working tomorrow and on Thursday as well. So the operation is still ongoing.”.
The trials, which began on Monday, are being held in several courtrooms within the Federal High Court complex in Abuja, where judges sit simultaneously to expedite judicial proceedings.
The government is determined to combat terrorism.
“Fajbemi” described the operation as evidence of the federal government’s determination to combat terrorism and ensure that perpetrators of crimes related to insurgency and violent extremism are held accountable.
He added: “The message is clear, direct, and straightforward. It is that the current administration will not tolerate the issue of terrorism.”.
He added: “Since this administration took office, this is the fourth phase we have undertaken. The message is that terrorism, in any form, will not be tolerated.”.
The prosecution team is headed by the Attorney General himself, while the defense team is headed by the Director General of the Legal Aid Council, Aliou Abubakar.
The panel of judges who hear the cases includes Judges Binta Nyako, Emeka Nuit, Moses Liman, James Omotosho, Obiora Igwato, Ikeriti Akpan, and others.
This round of measures is expected to continue until Thursday, while the broader operation is scheduled to last for a week.
This latest development follows an earlier phase of mass terrorism trials held between April 7 and 10, which saw more than 500 terrorism suspects appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Legal observers say the speed with which the verdicts are issued confirms the government's efforts to strengthen the criminal justice response to terrorism, although concerns persist about ensuring due process and fair trial standards in the large-scale proceedings.
