The Federal Government says more than 700 individuals linked to terrorism have been successfully prosecuted and jailed across Nigeria, marking a significant step in the country’s ongoing campaign against violent extremism. Hundreds of additional suspects, according to authorities, are currently facing trials in courts nationwide as security agencies continue to crack down on insurgency and other security threats.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed the new figures while responding to questions about Nigeria’s legal response to terrorism. Idris stated that the government is not only focused on arrests but is also committed to ensuring that every individual implicated in terror attacks or other security offences is brought before the law and held accountable.
To accelerate justice delivery, a Special Terrorism Court was introduced in 2017 under the Federal High Court system. Idris confirmed that the court has already completed seven sessions, securing convictions against hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operatives. Now at its eighth session, the court continues to hear fresh cases, while federal and state courts in Abuja and across the country are also trying terrorism-related offences.
Several high-profile cases currently in court involve suspects linked to the June 2022 Owo Church massacre in Ondo State, which claimed numerous lives; the 2014 Nyanya bomb blasts near Abuja, where over 70 people were killed; and the June 2025 Yelwata killings in Benue and Nasarawa, which resulted in deaths and displacement. The Department of State Services has completed investigations into these incidents, while the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are handling many more cases involving insurgents, bandits, and other security suspects nationwide.
Beyond terrorism, the government says its legal efforts extend to economic crimes that threaten national stability, including oil bunkering, theft, and pipeline vandalism. The Attorney-General of the Federation is coordinating all legal institutions to speed up trials and ensure courts deliver timely justice in line with national security objectives.
Nigeria’s aggressive prosecution of security offenders comes at a time when the country is under increased global scrutiny following claims by former United States President Donald Trump that Christians in Nigeria are under existential threat. His comments led to the United States designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” sparking a wave of diplomatic reactions. While China and Russia have urged Washington to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has insisted that American assistance to Nigeria should be tied to improvements in religious freedom and protection of vulnerable citizens. The commission said the objective is to encourage Nigeria to hold perpetrators accountable, rescue abducted persons, and address laws considered discriminatory.
For more than a decade, Nigeria has battled deadly insurgencies, widespread banditry in the North-West, communal violence in the North-Central, separatist unrest in the South-East and persistent oil theft in the Niger Delta. Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks alone have killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since 2009, leaving communities devastated and security forces stretched across multiple fronts.
Despite the challenges, the Federal Government says the strengthening of the justice system, improved coordination among security agencies, and consistent prosecution of offenders demonstrate a renewed commitment to restoring peace and stability. Idris maintained that trials will continue uninterrupted until every terror suspect faces the full weight of the law and victims receive justice.