Court convicts 386 terrorism suspects in four-day mass trial, jails them up to life imprisonment

The Federal High Court of Nigeria in Abuja has convicted a total of 386 terrorism suspects in a major four-day mass trial conducted by the Federal Government.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, confirmed the development, noting that 508 defendants were arraigned before 10 courts between Tuesday and Friday.

According to him, the convicted persons were handed sentences ranging from five years to life imprisonment depending on the gravity of their offences. Eight defendants were discharged, while two were acquitted.

Fagbemi added that 112 suspects whose cases were not concluded would be arraigned in the next phase of the mass trial scheduled for June 15 to 18, 2026.

He said the convictions send a strong message that Nigeria will not tolerate terrorism and related crimes.

Ex-Senatorial Candidate Jailed for Terrorism Support

In a related ruling, a former 2015 senatorial candidate in Borno State, Babagana Habeeb, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for selling petroleum products to members of the Boko Haram sect.

Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court found him guilty of aiding and abetting terrorism after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge brought by the Federal Government.

The court heard that the convict, a fuel dealer in Maiduguri, admitted supplying fuel to insurgents in the North-East.

Although he pleaded for leniency, citing long detention and family responsibilities, the prosecution opposed a reduced sentence, arguing that his actions supported terrorist operations and contributed to loss of lives.

The judge, however, ruled that there was no evidence he was a Boko Haram member or trained combatant, and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment, effective from the date of his arrest.