The Federal Government has secured the conviction of 653 defendants in the ongoing mass trial of terrorism suspects at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), disclosed this on Friday while giving an update on the proceedings.
Fagbemi said 1,060 suspects were brought before the court during the 11th phase of the mass trial, which began on October 19 and was scheduled to end on October 24.
He said 880 cases had been heard as of 12.15pm on Friday, resulting in 653 convictions, seven acquittals and 27 discharges.
“We are not through with the trial, but as at 12:15pm today, we had about 880 tried. Of the 880, 653 have been convicted, seven acquitted and 27 discharged,” he said.
“But by tomorrow when we will conclude the exercise, we will be able to give the final figure. And if you also observe, this appears to be the largest since we started; and this is due to the cooperation and guidance we received from my lord and the judges who sat.”
The AGF described the exercise as the largest since the Federal Government began conducting special mass trials for terrorism suspects.
He attributed the progress to the cooperation of the judges, prosecution and defence lawyers, as well as security agencies and other government institutions involved in the proceedings.
Fagbemi particularly commended the judges sitting under Justice Binta Nyako, who has been presiding over the cases on behalf of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the military, the police, correctional centres and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.
The minister said the collaboration among the institutions had helped advance the prosecution of terrorism, terrorism financing and related offences.
Fagbemi also clarified that the Legal Aid Council was not the only body providing legal representation to defendants, noting that private legal practitioners were also involved in the proceedings.
He said defence lawyers had been given opportunities to meet their clients before the trials, including visits to detention facilities to prepare their cases.
According to him, some of these activities could not be made public because of the security implications surrounding the proceedings.
The AGF also highlighted the importance of deradicalisation and rehabilitation for eligible defendants recommended for the programme.
He said the process was intended to help them reflect on their actions and prepare for reintegration into society, reducing the risk of their returning to extremist activities.
The ongoing trials form part of the Federal Government’s efforts to prosecute terrorism suspects and strengthen accountability in its response to insecurity.
The latest exercise is the third phase of terrorism trials conducted this year and the 11th since the mass trial programme began.
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