The Federal Government has announced 791 additional convictions in terrorism-related cases following the conclusion of the 11th phase of mass trials conducted at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The latest convictions bring the cumulative number recorded across the 11 phases of the trials to 2,512, according to the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser.
The National Coordinator of the NCTC, Major-General Adamu Laka, disclosed the figures during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, November 3, as reported by Punch on Wednesday, November 4.
He said the latest phase of proceedings was conducted between October 15 and 17 and October 22 and 24, 2026.
A total of 1,069 cases were handled across 10 courts of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
According to the figures released by the NCTC, the proceedings resulted in 791 convictions, seven acquittals, 41 discharges, four cases being struck out and three withdrawals. A further 211 cases were adjourned, while 11 remained pending, with one recorded under another category.
The latest phase added to the 1,721 convictions recorded during the first 10 phases of the mass trials, bringing the cumulative total to 2,512.
One of the significant outcomes was the conviction and death sentence imposed on a Boko Haram member, Suleiman Abu, for membership of the terrorist organisation and participation in attacks on military facilities and civilians that resulted in deaths and serious injuries.
Major-General Laka said the judgment demonstrated the importance of holding individuals accountable where criminal responsibility for terrorism-related offences has been established beyond reasonable doubt.
Government expands focus to terrorism financing
The NCTC coordinator also disclosed that 201 terrorism-financing cases were handled during the latest phase.
He explained that the government’s counter-terrorism strategy was increasingly focused on the financial structures that enable terrorist organisations to acquire weapons, move personnel, recruit members and sustain their operations.
The prosecution of individuals who knowingly finance, facilitate or support terrorism is therefore being treated as an important part of the broader effort to disrupt terrorist networks.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, also addressed the importance of protecting the constitutional rights of defendants during terrorism trials.
Oyedepo said the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring that persons whose rights had been violated received appropriate remedies in accordance with the law.
He stressed that fundamental rights under Chapter IV of the Nigerian Constitution apply to everyone, including persons accused of serious crimes.
He also said defendants with genuine claims of rights violations could approach the courts for appropriate remedies, including compensation.
The Director of Public Prosecutions further stated that government would ensure that legal advice recommending the release of defendants was implemented.
The NCTC coordinator maintained that the objective of the trials was not to secure convictions at all costs, but to ensure that justice was served in every case.
He noted that acquittals, discharges and other judicial outcomes were also part of a credible justice system, insisting that guilt must be established beyond reasonable doubt.
Nigeria began its mass trials of suspected terrorists in October 2017, with the first phase held at the Wawa Military Cantonment in Kainji, Niger State.
The latest figures highlight the scale of terrorism-related prosecutions and the government’s effort to extend accountability beyond suspected direct perpetrators to those accused of financing and facilitating terrorist activities.
However, the number of convictions alone does not establish the overall impact of the prosecutions on insecurity. Their wider significance will also depend on the enforcement of judgments, disruption of criminal financing networks and sustained protection of the rights of defendants and victims.
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