BY OUR REPORTERS—The Federal Government has secured 1,721 terrorism-related convictions since the launch of its Mass Trial Programme in October 2017, reinforcing efforts to strengthen accountability in the fight against terrorism.
Speaking during a joint security briefing in Abuja, the Director of Legal Services at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Zakari Mijinyawa, said the programme, implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Judiciary and security agencies, has completed 10 phases of terrorism prosecutions while ensuring fair trial standards are upheld.
According to Mijinyawa, the first three phases, conducted between 2017 and 2018, recorded 366 convictions, while later phases held between 2023 and 2025 produced another 490 convictions involving terrorism financing, international crimes and sexual and gender-based offences.
He said the ninth and tenth phases, concluded in 2026, delivered 865 convictions—more than half of the total recorded under the programme since its inception. He added that the government remains committed to prosecuting terrorism offences while respecting the constitutional rights of defendants.
Also at the briefing, the Defence Headquarters disclosed that troops neutralised 1,597 terrorists and rescued 1,516 kidnapped victims during 14,221 operations conducted nationwide between January and June 2026.
Representing the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, Group Captain Kabiru Ali said the operations also led to the recovery of 451 firearms, 16,726 rounds of ammunition and 161 explosives and improvised explosive devices across several states facing security threats.
Ali said troops killed 412 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters, rescued 261 victims from terrorist enclaves, arrested 332 suspected terrorists and recovered motorcycles, weapons and livestock. He added that 132 insurgents surrendered following sustained military pressure, while bomb disposal teams safely destroyed 31 improvised explosive devices.
He further disclosed that the Armed Forces carried out peacebuilding activities, public awareness campaigns and stakeholder engagements with traditional and religious leaders, alongside efforts to counter misinformation through regular public communication.
The Nigeria Police Force also reported significant operational successes. Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Iniedu Okokon, said intelligence-led operations resulted in the arrest of 50 suspects linked to terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery, with security operatives recovering 17 rifles, an anti-aircraft launcher and 111 rounds of ammunition.
Okokon added that police dismantled a 33-member criminal network involved in terrorism and cattle rustling in Kwara State, rescued a kidnapped woman and her twin sons, intercepted ammunition along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor, and recovered about 60 tonnes of vandalised railway materials valued at approximately ₦400 million.
