The Director of Legal Services in the Office of the National Security Adviser,Mijinyawa Zakari,said the first three phases of the trials, conducted between 2017 and 2018 at Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, recorded 366 convictions, 882 discharges, five acquittals and 61 adjourned cases
KaNo —
The Federal Government on Thursday disclosed that it has secured 1,721 convictions for terrorism and related offences since October 2017, marking a significant milestone in its efforts to strengthen criminal justice administration and combat insecurity across the country.
The Director of Legal Services in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, made the disclosure during a joint security briefing by spokespersons of defence, security and law enforcement agencies in Abuja.
According to him, the initiative, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary, security agencies and international partners, has so far completed 10 phases of terrorism trials.
“The Federal Government has continued to strengthen the administration of criminal justice in terrorism cases through its Mass Trial Programme,” he said.
“Since the commencement of the programme in October 2017, ten phases of mass trials have been successfully conducted, resulting in 1,721 convictions for terrorism and related offences.”he added
“The programme has also ensured that defendants against whom the prosecution did not establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt were discharged or acquitted,” Mijinyawa said.
“This demonstrates the government’s commitment to due process, the rule of law and fair trial standards.”he added
Providing a detailed breakdown, he said the first three phases of the trials, conducted between 2017 and 2018 at Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, recorded 366 convictions, 882 discharges, five acquittals and 61 adjourned cases.
After a pause, the programme resumed in 2023 with Phase Four, which secured 14 convictions. Phases Five and Six, conducted in 2024, produced 351 convictions, covering offences such as terrorism financing, international crimes and sexual and gender-based violence.
During the same period, eight defendants were discharged, while three others were referred for medical or mental health evaluation.
Mijinyawa said Phases Seven and Eight, conducted in 2025, resulted in an additional 125 convictions, reflecting sustained progress in the prosecution of terrorism-related offences.
However, the most significant gains were recorded in 2026 during Phases Nine and Ten held at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
According to him, the two phases alone produced 865 convictions, comprising 386 convictions in Phase Nine and 479 in Phase Ten.
He added that the same phases recorded 28 discharges, one acquittal and 224 adjourned cases.
“This also exceeds the combined total of 856 convictions secured during the preceding nine years from 2017 to 2025.”
Mijinyawa reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to ensure that perpetrators of terrorism are brought to justice while upholding constitutional safeguards.
“The discharge or acquittal of defendants where the prosecution failed to satisfy the required legal standard underscores our commitment to fair trial standards and the rule of law,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters revealed that military operations across the country have continued to yield significant results in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality.
He also disclosed that 1,516 kidnapped victims were rescued during the same period, while a total of 14,221 operations were conducted nationwide.
According to him, the operations involved coordinated land, air and maritime missions across multiple theatres of operation, covering major security flashpoints including Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo and Kaduna states.
Uba further revealed that troops recovered 451 firearms, 16,726 rounds of ammunition, as well as 161 explosives and improvised explosive devices, significantly weakening the operational capacity of criminal groups.
In addition, 132 insurgents surrendered to troops, while 31 improvised explosive devices were safely detonated during the operations.
The defence spokesperson noted that beyond kinetic operations, the Armed Forces have intensified non-kinetic efforts aimed at building trust with communities and enhancing cooperation.
He said the military conducted 33 peacebuilding initiatives, 13 public sensitisation campaigns and 33 stakeholder engagements with traditional and religious leaders across affected areas.
According to him, the Armed Forces also issued 593 press releases, countered 15 cases of misinformation and released 10 public advisories to improve public awareness and counter false narratives.
Uba reiterated the military’s commitment to sustaining operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence and crude oil theft.
“We remain committed to sustaining operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence and crude oil theft across the country,” he said, while urging Nigerians to support security agencies with timely and credible intelligence.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Iniedu Okokon, said the Nigeria Police Force had intensified intelligence-led policing and dismantled several criminal networks in the first half of 2026.
He said the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team arrested 50 suspects linked to terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery, recovering 17 rifles, an anti-aircraft launcher and 111 rounds of ammunition.
Okokon disclosed that police operatives dismantled a 33-member criminal network involved in terrorism, cattle rustling and violent attacks in Kwara State, and also arrested suspects connected to the killing of three police officers in Taraba State.
He added that in a separate operation on June 6, police rescued a kidnapped woman and her 12-year-old twin sons after neutralising two kidnappers and recovering two firearms.
According to him, improved border security measures led to the interception of 181 rounds of ammunition along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, while collaboration with INTERPOL has been strengthened to tackle transnational crimes.
The police spokesperson further revealed that operatives dismantled a railway vandalism syndicate and recovered about 60 tonnes of vandalised railway materials valued at approximately N400 million.
The latest figures from security agencies highlight both the scale of Nigeria’s security challenges and the ongoing efforts by the government to address them through a combination of judicial, military and law enforcement measures.
