Court Jails 44 Terrorists With Hard Labour

The federal government has secured the conviction of 44 terrorists in Phase 7 of the terrorism mass trials.
They were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 10 to 30 years with hard labour.
The convictions were secured during proceedings held across four Federal High Courts between July 9 and 11, 2025.

The 44 convicts were among 54 suspects arraigned in the latest phase of the trials.
A statement by the head, Department of Strategic Communications NCTC-ONSA, Abu Michael, said the remaining 10 cases were adjourned for further hearing.
The convictions came on the heels of Phase 6, which saw 200 individuals sentenced. Some to death, others to life imprisonment, and several to terms of up to 70 years for atrocities ranging from mass killings and abductions to attacks on religious and civilian institutions.

With the conclusion of Phase 7, Nigeria has now secured 785 terrorism-related convictions.

The statement partly read, “Nigeria has continued to bolster its criminal justice system, securing convictions for 44 out of 54 individuals recently arraigned in Phase 7 of the Kainji Detention Facility Terrorism Trial. The remaining 10 cases were adjourned during proceedings held across four courts, presided over by four Federal High Court justices.

“The verdicts delivered from the trials resulted in prison sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years, all to be served with hard labour, underscoring the severity of the crimes and the Nigerian justice system’s resolve to uphold accountability and deter future transgressions. “

On Wednesday, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu who was represented by the Coordinator, National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to pursuing justice through due process.

Also speaking at the opening, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar, reaffirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Justice to prosecute terrorism cases transparently and decisively.

“The convictions secured in this phase send a strong message to those who fund or support terrorism: the law will catch up with you, and justice will be served,” said Babadoko.