FG Secures Conviction of 653 Terrorists in Latest Mass Trial
Alex Enumah in Abuja The federal government has secured the conviction of 653 persons charged with offences bordering on acts of terrorism before the Federal High Court, Abuja. Attorney General
The federal government has for several years run mass trials of persons arrested in connection with the Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency in the North-east, using special sittings of the Federal High Court, often held in or near detention facilities in Abuja, to clear a backlog of terrorism-related cases. The exercise, overseen by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, has been presented by authorities as evidence of progress in prosecuting suspects linked to the insurgency, which has displaced millions and destabilised parts of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states over more than a decade.
The trials have, however, drawn scrutiny from rights groups and lawyers over due process concerns, including the pace of proceedings, access to defence counsel, and the basis on which some suspects are classified as combatants versus civilians caught up in conflict zones. The coverage from ThisDay and Daily Trust agrees on the headline figure of 653 convictions announced by the AGF, but none of the reports reviewed here provide details on the specific charges, sentencing terms, how many suspects were acquitted, or the total number tried in this latest round — information likely to emerge as the proceedings are further reported.