The Federal Government has secured the conviction of 653 terrorism suspects during the ongoing mass trials at the Federal High Court, with 1,060 defendants brought before the court in the 11th phase of the exercise.
Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, disclosed this on Friday, describing the ongoing exercise, scheduled for October 19 to 24, as the largest since the mass trials began.
Fagbemi said 880 cases had been handled as of 12:15 p.m. on Friday, resulting in 653 convictions, seven acquittals and 27 discharges.
He added that the final figures would be released after the conclusion of the exercise.
“This is the third phase this year alone. But generally, this is the 11th phase. That is if you consider everything since we started,” he said.
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According to the AGF, the exercise involved the coordinated efforts of judges, prosecution and defence lawyers, security agencies and other relevant institutions.
He particularly commended the judges sitting under the leadership of Justice Binta Nyako, who he said had been holding forth for the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court.
Fagbemi also acknowledged the contributions of the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the military, the police, correctional centres and the Legal Aid Council.
On the provision of legal representation for the defendants, he said the Legal Aid Council was not the only body providing defence lawyers, as private legal practitioners had also participated in the proceedings.
He explained that defence lawyers had engaged with defendants before the trials, including visiting detention facilities and preparing them for their cases.
The minister also highlighted the importance of deradicalisation in rehabilitating suspects who might eventually be discharged.
According to him, the process is necessary to prepare them for reintegration into society and reduce the likelihood of returning to activities that led to their arrest.
“Deradicalisation is an aspect of the exercise. There’s no way you can be discharged without, you know, going through that recommendation. You must be deradicalised,” Fagbemi said.
He added that rehabilitation should help former suspects regret their actions and adjust to life in their communities after their release.
The mass trials are part of the Federal Government’s efforts to prosecute terrorism-related offences, with the latest phase representing the 11th round of proceedings since the exercise began.
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