Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal Government has secured a total of 1,721 terrorism-related convictions since the launch of its Mass Trial Programme in October 2017, with more than half of those convictions recorded in 2026 alone — a milestone that underscores the intensifying judicial offensive against terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping across Nigeria.
The Director of Legal Services at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Mallam Zakari Mijinyawa, disclosed the figures on Thursday, July 2, 2026, during a joint security news briefing in Abuja attended by spokespersons of the country's defence, security, and law enforcement agencies. He said the programme, coordinated by ONSA in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary, and security agencies, has completed 10 phases of mass terrorism trials.
Mijinyawa revealed that phases nine and ten, conducted in 2026, resulted in 865 convictions — accounting for more than half (50.3 per cent) of all terrorism-related convictions recorded since the programme began. Phase nine produced 386 convictions, while phase ten added 479 more. The courts also discharged 28 defendants, acquitted one person, and adjourned 224 cases for continuation of trial.
Remarkably, the 865 convictions secured in 2026 alone exceeded the combined total of 856 convictions recorded during the preceding nine years of the programme, from 2017 to 2025.
Providing a detailed breakdown, Mijinyawa said the first three phases of the programme, conducted between 2017 and 2018 at Wawa Cantonment, Kainji, recorded 366 convictions, alongside 882 discharges, five acquittals, and 61 adjourned cases.
Following the resumption of the programme in 2023, phase four recorded 14 convictions, while phases five and six, conducted in 2024, resulted in 351 convictions, including cases of terrorism financing, international crimes, and sexual and gender-based violence. During the same period, eight defendants were discharged, while three others were referred for medical or mental health evaluation. Phases seven and eight, held in 2025, secured an additional 125 convictions.
Mijinyawa stressed that while the government has intensified efforts to prosecute terrorism suspects, it has also remained committed to the principles of fair hearing by ensuring that defendants against whom guilt could not be established beyond reasonable doubt were either discharged or acquitted, in line with constitutional guarantees and internationally recognised fair trial standards.
The joint briefing also highlighted significant operational gains by the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the first half of 2026. The Director of Defence Information, Major-General Samaila Uba, represented by Group Captain Kabiru Ali, disclosed that troops neutralised 1,597 terrorists and insurgents and rescued 1,516 kidnapped victims during 14,221 operations conducted nationwide between January and June.
The operations, which covered major security flashpoints in Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo, and Kaduna states, involved coordinated land, air and maritime missions. Troops recovered 451 firearms, 16,726 rounds of ammunition, 161 explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), significantly degrading the operational capabilities of criminal groups.
Uba said troops rescued 261 kidnapped victims from terrorist enclaves, neutralised 412 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters, arrested 332 suspected terrorists, and recovered weapons, motorcycles, and livestock. He added that sustained military pressure forced 132 Boko Haram and ISWAP members to surrender, while explosive ordnance teams safely detonated 31 IEDs.
Mijinyawa reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment to ensuring accountability for terrorism-related offences while upholding constitutional guarantees of fair trial, due process, and the rule of law. He noted that the sustained implementation of the Mass Trial Programme reflects the government's determination to balance national security with the protection of fundamental rights.
"We have secured convictions against those found guilty, but we have also discharged or acquitted defendants where prosecutors failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt," Mijinyawa said. "This demonstrates the Federal Government's commitment to due process, the rule of law, and internationally recognised fair trial standards."
The Defence Headquarters also reported that the military strengthened civil-military relations through 33 peacebuilding initiatives, 13 public sensitisation campaigns, and 33 stakeholder engagements with traditional and religious leaders. The Armed Forces issued 593 press releases, countered 15 cases of misinformation, and released 10 public advisories to improve public awareness and strategic communication.
As Nigeria continues its multi-pronged campaign against terrorism and violent extremism, the record convictions secured through the Mass Trial Programme and the operational gains recorded by the military signal a sustained and coordinated effort to restore peace and security across the nation.
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