The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said Nigeria secured 742 terrorist convictions and acquitted 888 suspects due to insufficient evidence between 2017 and 2024.
The Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), ONSA, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, who gave the information at a news briefing on the Kanji trials and other terrorism-related issues in Abuja on Monday also said that the country had become more experienced in handling terrorism cases.
Laka jointly addressed the briefing with the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Babadoko and the Director of Legal, ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa.
He explained that 1,722 cases were disposed of in phases one to six of the terrorist trials in the country.
According to him, the terrorists received various sentences, ranging from life imprisonment and terms of 65 to 75 years to the death penalty, depending on the severity of their crimes.
He said that that development demonstrated the Bola Tinubu administration’s commitment to human rights.
Laka noted that the Tinubu administration tried 550 suspects and secured 327 convictions in one year, while the previous administration handled 500 suspects over eight years.
“With the coming of this administration in one year, we have tried over 550.
“So, you can imagine by the end of this first term of this administration, we would have cleared maybe three or four times the number that was done in eight years of the last administration.
“So, I think Nigerians need to know how committed this administration is to human rights”.
Laka explained that at the initial stage, the country was learning the ropes in handling terrorism cases but had now grown more experienced in tackling extremism cases.
“We are partnering with some of our international partners, including UN agencies, on the training of troops in battlefield evidence collection.
“I think all Nigerians were novices when it comes to the issue of terrorism. Even our security and intelligence agencies were not as good as they are today.
“I think Nigeria has that experience now in the fight against terrorism,” he said.
The director of public prosecution, while giving the breakdown of the cases treated between 2017 and 2024, explained that 1,722 cases were disposed of, out of which 742 convictions were secured, 888 were acquitted, and 92 adjourned.
Babadoko stated that this achievement was made in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and sector actors to ensure accountability for crimes committed by individuals across the country.
“The Legal Aid Council, the Nigerian Police, the Correctional Service, and the Federal High Court came together to ensure the prosecution of suspects arrested either at the front lines in the Northeast, Southeast, or North Central.
“Between 2017 and the present, some suspects were prosecuted at Kanji.
“At the first phase of the trial, a total of 282 cases were disposed of, 50 of which resulted in convictions, 203 discharged for want of evidence, and 28 adjourned to Abuja for continuation of the trial in 2017,” he said.
According to him, in the second phase of the trial in 2018, a total of 804 suspects or cases were disposed of, out of which 203 were convicted and 582 discharged for lack of evidence.
“The other cases were adjourned to Abuja for continuation of trial.
“At the third phase of the trial, between 9th to 12th July 2018, a total of 224 cases were disposed of, out of which 113 were convicted, 97 discharged for lack of evidence, five acquitted, and nine cases adjourned for continuation of trial.
“At the fourth phase of the trial, in December 2023, a total of 25 cases were listed for trial, and 14 were convicted.
“One was ordered to be sent to Operation Safe Corridor for Disarmament, Demobilisation, and Reintegration (DDR), and 10 cases were adjourned for continuation of trial,” he said.
Babadoko explained that in July 2024, a total of 253 cases were disposed of, out of which 125 were convicted, 85 were terrorism financing cases, and 22 involved International Criminal Court (ICC) criminalities.
“That is to say, there were crimes against humanity, and 22 cases were adjourned for trial.
“Now, at the sixth phase of the trial, two weeks ago, in December 2024, a total of 237 cases were disposed of, with about nine adjourned for continuation of trial.
“Some of these cases include acts of terrorism, terrorism financing, and ICC criminalities, for which some of the defendants were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 60 to 75 years to life imprisonment.
“It is important to note that within the last year, the life of this administration, about 515 cases were disposed of.
“Over 800 who have served terms or were discharged and/or acquitted at the various stages of the trial were moved to Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe for DDR by the orders of the court and the policy of the federal government”.
