The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted 386 terror suspects—mostly linked to Boko Haram—following a four-day mass trial conducted at the instance of the Federal Government.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, disclosed on Friday that the convicted defendants received prison sentences ranging from five years to life imprisonment, depending on the severity of the charges and their confessional statements in court.
According to the minister, a total of 508 suspects were arraigned before 10 designated courts between Tuesday and Friday as part of the ongoing terrorism trials.
Fagbemi added that eight defendants were discharged, while two others were acquitted after the courts found insufficient evidence to sustain the charges against them.
He further stated that another batch of 112 suspects whose cases could not be heard during the session would be arraigned in the next phase of the trial scheduled for June 15 to 18, 2026.
The justice minister said the convictions send a strong message that Nigeria will not tolerate acts of terrorism and other serious crimes threatening national security.
He commended the judges of the Federal High Court for sitting during the Easter holiday period to handle the cases, describing their efforts as a response to the Federal Government’s call for accelerated prosecution of terrorism-related offences.
Fagbemi also noted that representatives of several organisations, including Amnesty International, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the National Human Rights Commission, observed the proceedings to ensure transparency and compliance with due process.
He equally acknowledged the role of the media in covering the trials.
