A total of 653 terrorism suspects have been convicted during the ongoing 11th phase of terrorism trials at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Federal Government said on Friday.
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, who disclosed this while reviewing the progress of the trials on Friday, said 1,060 suspects were brought before the court for the exercise.
He disclosed that as of Friday, 880 cases had been tried, resulting in 653 convictions, seven acquittals and 27 discharges.
The AGF, however, said the exercise was still ongoing and that the final figures would be announced upon its conclusion, describing the current phase as apparently the largest since the Federal Government commenced the special terrorism trials, attributing the progress to judicial cooperation, effective prosecution and inter-agency collaboration.
Fagbemi expressed appreciation to the judges handling the cases, particularly under the leadership of Justice Binta Nyako, who has been acting on behalf of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho.
He also commended prosecution and defence counsel, as well as relevant security and justice institutions, for their contributions to the exercise.
According to him, the collaboration among the institutions has been critical to advancing the prosecution of terrorism, terrorism financing and related offences in the country.
On the representation of defendants by lawyers from the Legal Aid Council, the AGF explained that the council was fulfilling its responsibility of providing legal assistance to eligible defendants and clarified, however, that private legal practitioners were also representing some of the suspects.
According to him, defence lawyers had been engaging with their clients before the court proceedings, including visiting detention facilities and preparing them for their defence.
He noted that some of these preparatory activities could not be subjected to public scrutiny because of the sensitive security considerations surrounding the cases.
On the issue of deradicalisation for suspects recommended by the court, Fagbemi said the process remained an important component of the overall exercise, explaining that deradicalisation was intended to help eligible individuals understand and regret their actions, enabling them to reintegrate into society and resume their daily lives.
The AGF maintained that rehabilitation and reintegration were necessary to complement the judicial process and reduce the risk of individuals returning to extremist activities.
The ongoing trials form part of the Federal Government’s efforts to prosecute terrorism-related offences and strengthen accountability in the country’s response to insecurity.
