The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) says between 2017 and 2024, the country secured 742 terror convictions and acquitted 888 suspects due to insufficient evidence.

The Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Major Gen. Adamu Laka said this yesterday in Abuja, at a news briefing on the Kanji trials and other terrorism-related issues.

The briefing was jointly addressed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Babadoko; the Director of Legal, ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa; and Laka. Laka, who stated that Nigeria is now more experienced in handling terrorism cases, explained that 1,722 cases were disposed of in phases one to six of the terrorist trials in the country.

According to him, the terrorists received various sentences, ranging from life imprisonment and terms of 65 to 75 years, to the death penalty, depending on the severity of their crimes. He said this development demonstrated the current administration’s commitment to human rights.

Laka noted that the current administration tried 550 suspects and secured 327 convictions in one year, while the previous administration handled 500 suspects over eight years. He said: “With the coming of this administration in one year, we have tried over 550.

“So, you can imagine by the end of this first term of this administration, we would have cleared maybe three or four times the number that was done in eight years of the last administration. “So, I think Nigerians need to know how committed this administration is to human rights.”

Laka explained that at the initial stage, the country was learning the ropes in handling terrorism cases but had now grown more experienced in tackling extremism cases.

The director of public prosecution, while giving the breakdown of the cases treated between 2017 and 2024, explained that 1,722 cases were disposed of, out of which 742 convictions were secured, 888 acquitted, and 92 adjourned.