FG Begins Fresh Mass Trial of Suspected Terrorists at Abuja Federal High Court
The Federal Government on Thursday commenced a fresh phase of mass trials involving suspected terrorists at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The exercise is aimed at addressing the backlog of terrorism-related cases and speeding up justice for offences linked to insurgency and armed criminal networks.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the trials, which are usually held in Kainji, Niger State, were moved to the Federal High Court in Abuja for this phase. The proceedings are expected to continue for several days.
Several judges are handling the cases, including Justices Binta Nyako, James Omotosho, Salim Ibrahim, Emeka Nwite, Obiora Egwuatu, Hauwa Yilwa, Joyce Abdulmalik and Peter Lifu.
At least 34 suspected terrorists were listed for proceedings before Justice Salim Ibrahim on Thursday, while 25 defendants appeared on the cause list of Justice Peter Lifu. The listed cases form part of the government’s ongoing effort to process terrorism-related charges through the courts.
Some of the defendants listed before Justice Ibrahim included Isah Ismail, Alai Goni, Bulama Lawal, Garba Ibrahim, Mallam Modu Abba Kichi, Lawal Alhaji Mamman and Usman Abubakar. The defendants remain suspects unless and until their cases are determined by the courts.
Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, led the government’s legal team during Thursday’s proceedings. The defence team was led by Aliyu Abubakar, Director-General of the Legal Aid Council.
Security was heightened within and around the court premises as the proceedings began. The report did not provide a detailed breakdown of the charges or the number of defendants expected to be tried during the current phase.
The latest exercise follows an earlier round of mass trials held in Abuja from April 7 to April 10. During that phase, at least 500 alleged terrorists were reportedly tried, which the Attorney-General of the Federation described as the ninth phase of the mass trial programme.