‘Court Convicts 742 Terrorists, Frees 888 Others in Seven Years’
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA) yesterday said that court convicted no fewer than 742 terrorists in seven years.
The centre also revealed that 888 suspected terrorists were freed by court for want of evidence.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Ministry of Justice, Abubakar Babadogo made this disclosure during a joint press conference with the National Coordinator, NCTC-ONSA, Major General Adamu Laka in Abuja.
He further revealed that out of the 1,743 terrorist suspects tried between 2017 and 2024, 92 suspects were transferred to Abuja from Niger State, for continuation of trial.
Giving annual breakdown of the conviction, Babadogo said that in October 2017, 50 terrorists were convicted, 203 discharged and 28 adjourned for continuation of trial.
According to him, “In February 2018, 203 were convicted, 582 discharged and 24 adjourned. In July 2018, 113 were convicted, 102 discharged and nine adjourned. Also, in December 2023, 14 suspected terrorists were convicted, one discharged and 10 adjourned.
“In July 2024, 125 were convicted, and 21 adjourned. In December 2024 237 were convicted, none discharged and adjourned.”
Earlier, Major General Laka said the escalation of domestic terrorist activities and the counteractions led to the arrest and detention of about 1,600 suspects in Wawa Military Cantonment, Kainji, Niger State.
This detention, Laka said brought to fore the urgent need to develop a comprehensive strategy on the best way to determine the culpability or otherwise of these persons suspected of being involved in terrorist activities.
He, however, averred that in order to ensure transparency and observation of international standards and human rights demands, the trials being held before the Federal High Court are supervised by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in collaboration with the National Counter Terrorism Centre.
“Accordingly, a team of relevant stakeholders were drawn from different MDAs to embark on the mass trial.
“These are Judges of the Federal High Court, prosecutors, defence counsel from Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, staff of the Office of the National Security Adviser, observers from the Nigeria Bar Association, and the press amongst others.”
Responding to questions on measures put in place to protect battlefield evidence, the Director Legal and Head, Strategic Communication Office of National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, said the armed forces operations integrate battle field evidence collection training.
According him, “We have been learning and I am aware that a new field of battlefield evidence collection preservation and use has been established over the past six years.
“We have received support from partners and we have been building capacity. For instance the armed forces operations integrate battle field evidence collection training. Battlefield evidence collection is new, and countries around the world continues to grapple with it. We are fairly doing well as a country.”
