653 terrorism suspects convicted in latest mass trials — AGF
Nigeria’s AGF, Lateef Fagbemi, announces that 653 suspects have been convicted in the latest phase of the ongoing mass trial of terrorism suspects. Read More:…
Nigeria has for several years run mass trials of terrorism suspects, mostly linked to Boko Haram and allied insurgent groups, as part of efforts to decongest detention facilities holding thousands of people arrested in the course of military operations in the North-East. The trials, conducted in batches or "phases" often held in Kainji, Niger State, and other designated centres, have drawn scrutiny over due process concerns, including the pace of proceedings, access to legal representation, and the adequacy of evidence against detainees, even as the federal government presents the exercise as evidence of progress in prosecuting terrorism cases.
The latest announcement from the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, places the newest batch of convictions within this long-running programme, now said to be in its 11th phase. The outlets covering the story agree on the headline figure of 653 convictions, but none of the reports detail the specific charges, sentences handed down, the total number of suspects screened or acquitted, or the timeline over which this phase of trials was conducted — details that would normally frame how significant this round is relative to earlier phases.