The federal government on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, opened the trial of 500 terror suspects before at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The suspects were allegedly implicated in series of terror attacks and believed to have participated mainly in the Northern parts of the country where more than 2000 people were killed and properties destroyed.
Some of the suspects were accused of aiding and abetting the heinous crime through direct and indirect sponsorship with either finance, arms and ammunition as well as food supplies.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice AGF, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, supported by the Director of the Public Prosecution of the federation (DPPF) Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, is leading the prosecution team.
In the same vein, the Director of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Mr Aliu Bagudu Abubakar is leading the defense team with support from several lawyers.
Fagbemi, who confirmed the decision of the federal government on the trial, announced that a total of 227 suspects were put on trial before 10 Justices of the Federal High Court.
The AGF thanked the Judges for sacrificing their Easter holiday to conduct the trial of the suspects, adding that in order to ensure that the trial is transparent and due process of law followed, the federal government brought in representatives of the International bodies, Amnesty International, Human rights associations, Nigeria Bar Association to witness the proceedings.
The suspects were brought to court in loads of trucks with heavy security provided by armed soldiers, operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), and Nigeria Police.
In one of the proceedings, Justice Binta Nyako sentenced one of the major food supplier to the Boko Haram terrorists in Borno state, Hamatu Modu to 40 years imprisonment for his involvement in terrorism activities.
Modu, who confessed in the open court to supplying food items and information to terrorists was put on trial by the federal government.
Modu, who was slammed with 4- count charge on Tuesday, instantly pleaded guilty to them.
In his judgment, Justice Nyako sentenced him to 10 years on each of the four counts, but due to plea of the defense counsel, the judge ordered that the 40 years imprisonment shall run concurrently.
In another development, another suspect, Isah Ali who was also a food supplier in Borno and confessed to committing the crime as charged, was jailed 10 years by Justice Nyako.
Ali’s jail term will however start from the date he was arrested and clamped into detention three years ago.
Justice Nyako ordered that the convicts be made to undergo rehabilitation and radicalization at the end of their service of the jail terms.
The Federal Ministry of Interior was ordered to determine where the convicts will serve their jail terms.
In a related development, the Court sentenced a father of three children, Sheu Buka to 20 years imprisonment for selling goats to Boko Haram terrorists in Borno state.
Buka, who was put on trial on 5- count charge by the federal government admitted in the open court and in his extra judicial statement that he committed the offense.
Following his denial of four other charges, the federal government withdrew the ones he denied and left him to count three alone.
Justice Nyako after going through the confessional statement and admission of guilt in the open court as well as the investigation report, convicted the defendant and sentenced him to 20 years.
The trial Judge refused the plea for leniency made by the convict, and held that the issue of terrorism has become worrisome in virtually all parts of the country.
The court held that rendering support to terrorists is a serious offense that must not be condoned.
In a related case, a father of six children, Hamza Yahuza was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for selling Indian hemps and cigarettes to Boko Haram terrorists in Borno state.
Yahuza on Tuesday admitted in the open court to committing the offense in 2023 and begged the court for forgiveness.
The convict is one of the over 500 persons brought to the various courts for trial by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for aiding and abetting terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He also admitted supplying various drugs to the terrorists in parts of Monguno Local Government Area of Borno.
In the one count charge, the 40 years old convict upon confession pleaded for leniency which was rejected by Justice Nyako.
Accordingly, Justice Nyako imposed seven years imprisonment on him, but ordered that the sentence should start from March 6, 2023 when the convict was apprehended and clamped into detention by the federal government.
The trial continues on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
