The Federal Government has secured no fewer than 1,721 terrorism-related convictions since the launch of its Mass Trial Programme in October 2017, underscoring a major milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
The figure was disclosed on Thursday by Zakari Mijinyawa, Director of Legal Services at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), during a joint security briefing attended by spokespersons of security, defence and law enforcement agencies in Abuja.
According to Mijinyawa, the programme—coordinated by ONSA in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the judiciary and security agencies—has successfully completed 10 phases of terrorism trials, ensuring that suspects are prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law.
He stressed that while the government remains committed to holding terrorists accountable, the programme has also upheld due process by discharging or acquitting defendants where evidence failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
A breakdown of the trial outcomes showed that the first three phases, conducted between 2017 and 2018, recorded 366 convictions, 882 discharges, five acquittals and 61 adjourned cases.
Mijinyawa said phases four to eight, held between 2023 and 2025, produced 490 convictions involving terrorism financing, international crimes, and sexual and gender-based violence offences.
The most significant gains came in 2026, when phases nine and 10 secured 865 convictions—more than half of all terrorism-related convictions recorded under the programme since its inception. The figure surpassed the combined 856 convictions secured during the previous nine years.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s determination to sustain the prosecution of terrorism offences while safeguarding constitutional rights and fair trial standards.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters revealed that troops neutralised 1,597 terrorists and insurgents and rescued 1,516 kidnapped victims during 14,221 military operations conducted across the country between January and June 2026.
Speaking on behalf of the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, Group Capt. Kabiru Ali said the operations involved coordinated land, air and maritime missions targeting criminal elements in several security flashpoints nationwide.
The military also recovered 451 firearms, 16,726 rounds of ammunition, 161 explosive devices and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), significantly degrading the operational capacity of terrorist and criminal groups.
According to the Defence Headquarters, military operations spanned states including Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo and Kaduna, where troops carried out intelligence-driven raids, clearance missions and rescue operations.
Within the North-East alone, troops rescued 261 kidnapped victims from terrorist hideouts, neutralised 412 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters, arrested 332 suspects and recovered weapons, motorcycles and livestock.
The military further disclosed that 132 Boko Haram and ISWAP members surrendered during the period due to sustained operational pressure, while bomb disposal teams safely neutralised 31 improvised explosive devices.
Beyond combat operations, the Armed Forces conducted 33 peacebuilding initiatives, 13 public sensitisation campaigns and 33 stakeholder engagements involving traditional and religious leaders to strengthen community relations and support conflict resolution efforts.
The military also issued 593 press releases, countered 15 cases of misinformation and released 10 public advisories aimed at improving public awareness and strategic communication.
Reaffirming the Armed Forces’ resolve, Uba said troops would continue offensive operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence and crude oil theft across the country.
He urged citizens to remain vigilant and provide timely intelligence to security agencies to enhance ongoing efforts to restore peace and security.
On the policing front, the Nigeria Police Force reported major breakthroughs in intelligence-led operations nationwide.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Iniedu Okokon, said police operatives arrested thousands of suspects linked to various crimes, rescued kidnapped victims and recovered firearms, ammunition and other exhibits.
He disclosed that the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team arrested 50 suspects connected to terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery, recovering 17 rifles, an anti-aircraft launcher and 111 rounds of ammunition.
Among notable successes, police dismantled a 33-member criminal syndicate involved in terrorism, cattle rustling and violent attacks in Kwara State, while also apprehending suspects linked to the killing of three police officers in Taraba State.
Okokon added that operatives rescued a kidnapped woman and her 12-year-old twin sons during a June 6 operation that resulted in the neutralisation of two kidnappers and the recovery of firearms.
He further noted that enhanced border security measures led to the interception of 181 rounds of ammunition along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and strengthened cooperation with INTERPOL in tackling transnational crime.
In another breakthrough, police dismantled a railway vandalism syndicate and recovered approximately 60 tonnes of stolen railway materials valued at about N400 million.
The security agencies collectively pledged to sustain ongoing operations and deepen collaboration to address the country’s security challenges.
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