FG Convicts 1,721 Terrorism Suspects In 9 Years

FG Convicts 1,721 Terrorism Suspects In 9 Years

The federal government has secured 1,721 terrorism-related convictions since the commencement of its Mass Trial Programme in October 2017, in what the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) described as a significant milestone in the country’s counterterrorism efforts.

The Director of Legal Services at ONSA, Mr. Zakari Mijinyawa, disclosed this on Thursday during a joint media briefing by spokespersons of security, defence and law enforcement agencies in Abuja.

Mijinyawa said the programme, coordinated by ONSA in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the judiciary and security agencies, has completed 10 phases of terrorism trials since its inception.

He explained that while the programme has secured convictions against those found guilty, it has also discharged or acquitted defendants where prosecutors failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt, in line with constitutional guarantees of fair trial and due process.

According to him, the first three phases of the programme, conducted between 2017 and 2018, recorded 366 convictions, 882 discharges, five acquittals and 61 adjourned cases.

He said phases four to eight, conducted between 2023 and 2025, resulted in 490 convictions, covering terrorism financing, international crimes and sexual and gender-based violence.

Mijinyawa added that phases nine and 10, concluded in 2026, produced 865 convictions, accounting for more than half of all terrorism-related convictions secured since the programme began.

“A notable milestone of the programme is that the 865 convictions secured in 2026 account for more than half (50.3%) of all terrorism-related convictions recorded since the programme commenced in 2017.

“This also exceeds the combined total of 856 convictions secured during the preceding nine years (2017–2025),” he said.

He said the sustained implementation of the Mass Trial Programme reflects the federal government’s commitment to ensuring accountability for terrorism-related offences while upholding the rule of law, due process and constitutional guarantees of fair trial.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said troops neutralised 1,597 terrorists and insurgents, rescued 1,516 kidnapped victims and conducted 14,221 operations across the country between January and June 2026.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, who was represented by Group Capt. Kabiru Ali, said the operations comprised coordinated land, air and maritime missions across various theatres of operation.

According to him, troops recovered 451 firearms, 16,726 rounds of ammunition, 161 explosive devices and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), significantly degrading the operational capabilities of criminal groups.

He said the operations covered major security flashpoints in Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo and Kaduna states.

Uba said troops conducted intelligence-driven operations, clearance missions, targeted raids and rescue operations that disrupted criminal activities and enhanced security in affected communities.

He disclosed that troops rescued 261 kidnapped victims from terrorist enclaves, neutralised 412 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters, arrested 332 terrorists and recovered weapons, motorcycles and livestock.

According to him, sustained military pressure also forced 132 Boko Haram and ISWAP members to surrender, while troops safely detonated 31 improvised explosive devices.

He added that the Armed Forces strengthened civil-military relations through 33 peacebuilding initiatives, 13 public sensitisation campaigns and 33 stakeholder engagements involving traditional and religious leaders.

The military also issued 593 press releases, countered 15 cases of misinformation and released 10 public advisories to enhance public awareness and strategic communication.

Uba reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to sustaining operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence and crude oil theft, urging Nigerians to continue providing timely and actionable intelligence to security agencies.

Also speaking, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Iniedu Okokon, said the Nigeria Police Force dismantled several criminal networks and strengthened intelligence-led policing nationwide during the period.

He said police operations resulted in the arrest of thousands of criminal suspects, rescue of kidnapped victims and recovery of firearms, ammunition and other exhibits.

According to him, 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 said police also dismantled a 33-member criminal network involved in terrorism, cattle rustling and violent attacks in Kwara State, while suspects linked to the killing of three police officers in Taraba State were arrested.

He added that operatives rescued a kidnapped woman and her 12-year-old twin sons during an operation on June 6, neutralising two kidnappers and recovering two firearms.

The police spokesman further disclosed that enhanced border security led to the interception of 181 rounds of ammunition along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, while collaboration with INTERPOL was strengthened to combat transnational crimes.

He said police also dismantled a railway vandalism syndicate and recovered about 60 tonnes of vandalised railway materials valued at approximately N400 million.