The Federal Government has secured 1,721 terrorism and related offence convictions in the last nine years under its Mass Trial Programme, reinforcing efforts to prosecute terrorism suspects while upholding due process, fair trial standards and the rule of law.
The government said the coordinated initiative, launched in October 2017, has completed 10 phases of terrorism trials through a partnership involving the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary, security and law enforcement agencies, as well as international partners.
Speaking during a joint security briefing by spokespersons of security, defence and law enforcement agencies in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Legal Services at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, described the programme as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s counterterrorism strategy and criminal justice system.
According to him, the initiative was established to ensure terrorism-related cases are prosecuted efficiently while safeguarding the constitutional rights of defendants and maintaining internationally recognised standards of justice.
“The Federal Government has continued to strengthen the administration of criminal justice in terrorism cases through its Mass Trial Programme, a coordinated initiative involving the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary, security and law enforcement agencies, and international partners.
“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 said.
Mijinyawa stressed that the programme was not solely designed to secure convictions but also to ensure justice where the prosecution failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
According to him, defendants against whom sufficient evidence was not presented were either discharged or acquitted, underscoring the government’s commitment to due process, the rule of law and fair trial guarantees.
Giving a breakdown of the proceedings, he said the first three phases of the programme, conducted between 2017 and 2018 at Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, produced 366 convictions, while 882 defendants were discharged, five acquitted and 61 cases adjourned.
He said after the programme resumed in 2023, Phase Four recorded 14 convictions, while Phases Five and Six, conducted in 2024, resulted in 351 convictions covering terrorism financing, international crimes and sexual and gender-based violence cases.
During the same period, eight defendants were discharged, while three others were referred for medical and mental health evaluations.
Mijinyawa added that Phases Seven and Eight, conducted in 2025, produced another 125 convictions before the programme recorded its highest annual outcome in 2026.
He said Phases Nine and Ten, held at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, resulted in 865 convictions, comprising 386 convictions in Phase Nine and 479 in Phase Ten. The two phases also recorded 28 discharges, one acquittal and 224 adjourned cases.
According to him, the 865 convictions secured in 2026 represent more than half—50.3 per cent—of all terrorism-related convictions recorded since the programme began in 2017.
He noted that the figure also surpassed the combined 856 convictions secured during the preceding phases conducted between 2017 and 2025.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to accountability, Mijinyawa said the discharge and acquittal of defendants where the prosecution failed to satisfy the required legal threshold reflected the integrity of the judicial process rather than a conviction-driven exercise.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters said troops conducted 14,221 operations across the country between January and June 2026, neutralising 1,597 terrorists and insurgents while rescuing 1,516 kidnapped victims.
The Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, represented by Group Captain Kabiru Ali, said the operations involved coordinated land, air and maritime missions targeting terrorist groups, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements across multiple theatres.
He said troops also recovered 451 firearms, 16,726 rounds of ammunition and 161 explosives, including improvised explosive devices, significantly degrading the operational capability of criminal groups.
According to him, the operations covered major security flashpoints in Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo and Kaduna states.
Uba explained that intelligence-led raids, clearance operations and rescue missions led to the neutralisation of 412 fighters belonging to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the arrest of 332 suspected terrorists, the rescue of 261 kidnap victims from terrorist enclaves and the surrender of 132 insurgents.
He added that troops also safely detonated 31 improvised explosive devices during the six-month period.
Beyond combat operations, the military strengthened civil-military relations through 33 peacebuilding initiatives, 13 public sensitisation campaigns and 33 stakeholder engagements involving traditional and religious leaders.
The Armed Forces also issued 593 press releases, countered 15 cases of misinformation and released 10 public advisories aimed at improving public awareness and cooperation.
Uba reaffirmed the military’s commitment to sustaining offensive operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence and crude oil theft, while urging Nigerians to continue providing timely and credible intelligence to security agencies.