Nigeria’s criminal justice system has demonstrated increased effectiveness, securing 44 convictions out of 54 individuals recently tried during Phase 7 of the Kainji Detention Facility Terrorism Trial.
This development was announced in a statement released on Saturday in Abuja by Mr. Michael Abu, Head of Strategic Communication at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser.
The statement further indicated that the remaining ten cases were adjourned during proceedings held across four courts, presided over by four Federal High Court justices.
It added that with the recent 44 convictions, the country has now secured a total of 785 cases related to terrorism financing and other terrorism-related offences.
This reflects the country’s intensified efforts to combat violent extremism, dismantle terrorist financing networks and strengthen national security through judicial enforcement.
The statement reads: “The verdicts delivered from the trials resulted in prison sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years, all to be served with hard labour, underscoring the severity of the crimes and the Nigerian justice system’s resolve to uphold accountability and deter future transgressions.
“The trials commenced on Wednesday, July 9, with an opening ceremony during which the National Coordinator of NCTC -ONSA, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, delivered remarks on behalf of the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
“The Attorney General of the Federation and Honourable Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi(SAN), was represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar.
“Both officials reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to justice and its determination to confront terrorism through lawful and transparent means.
“237 cases were heard, resulting in 200 convictions in the Phase 6 trials. The convicted terrorists received various sentences, ranging from the death penalty and life imprisonment to prison terms of 20 to 70 years, based on the severity of their crimes.
“Their offences included heinous acts such as attacks on women and children, the destruction of religious sites, the killing of civilians, and the abduction of women and children during a brutal assault on the Gina Kara Kai community in Borno.”
Persecondnews reports that Boko Haram unleashed bloody attacks, kidnappings, and bombings in North Eastern Nigeria, causing widespread destruction and loss of life as they sought to impose a harsh interpretation of Islamic law.
At the peak of their attacks (2013-2015), it is alleged that it killed up to 30,000 people and displaced approximately 2.3 million individuals, of whom 1.4 million were children.
Their brutal attacks have left a trail of destruction and death, including the 2019 Rann attack that killed at least 60 people and the Malam Karanti massacre in 2025 that claimed over 50 lives.
The group’s kidnapping spree has seen hundreds taken captive, including 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014, many of whom remain unaccounted for to this day, 333 students from Kankara in 2020, most of whom were later released, and over 100 women and children in the Gumsuri kidnapping in 2014, which also resulted in the deaths of 35 people.
Their recent attacks include the killing of five farmers and kidnapping of 15 others in Ngoshe in October 2024. Additionally, the twin village attack on Kwatandashi and Mallam Karamti in 2024 resulted in the deaths of at least 57 people and the abduction of over 70 individuals, mostly women and children.
Persecondnews reports that this does not represent the full extent of Boko Haram’s attacks in Nigeria, as many went unreported or were underreported.
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