Nigeria Convicts Over 1,700 Terror Suspects Since 2017

Since the commencement of its mass trial program in October 2017, the Federal Government of Nigeria has successfully convicted 1,721 individuals for terror-related offenses. Zakari Mijinyawa, Director of Legal Services at the Office of the National Security Adviser, disclosed this during a joint security briefing in Abuja.

The program, which has completed ten phases, is part of a strategy to strengthen the criminal justice administration and uphold the rule of law. The first three phases conducted between 2017 and 2018 resulted in 366 convictions, with 882 individuals discharged and five acquitted.

The program resumed in 2023, with subsequent phases producing additional convictions, including cases involving terror financing and sexual violence. Mijinyawa emphasized the government's commitment to due process, ensuring that prosecutions meet legal standards.

Additionally, military operations have neutralized 1,597 terrorists and rescued 1,516 kidnap victims from January to June 2026.