The Federal Government has secured 386 convictions out of 508 terrorism-related cases in a mass trial.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), confirmed this to newsmen on Friday. He said that out of the 508 defendants brought before the court, two were acquitted while eight were discharged.
It was reported that the trial began on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The convicted persons were sentenced to various prison terms ranging from eight years to life imprisonment, depending on the gravity of the charges against them.
Fagbemi further explained that 112 suspects whose cases could not be heard would be arraigned alongside others in the next phase of the mass trial, scheduled for June 15 to 18.
He said that the mass trial and the imprisonment of the 386 convicted terrorists would send a strong signal that Nigeria has zero tolerance for heinous crimes.
The minister commended the 10 judges who sacrificed their Easter holiday to sit as special courts to handle the cases.
He also noted that international bodies, including Amnesty International, as well as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the National Human Rights Commission, and other civil society organizations, monitored the proceedings to ensure due process and transparency.
It was further reported that the trials are part of Phase Nine in a series of mass prosecutions aimed at tackling insecurity and bringing terrorism suspects to justice after prolonged detention.
The Federal Government maintained that prosecuting such cases is essential to weakening insurgent operations and restoring stability in the country.
