A court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja on Friday convicted nearly 400 terrorism suspects in a four-day mass trial.
Many of those convicted received prison terms of up to 20 years after appearing before a panel of 10 judges.
The prosecutions, which got underway on Tuesday, are part of a series of trials involving Boko Haram and the so-called Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) suspects.
Out of 508 cases, 386 convictions secured
“We brought 508 cases to court and out of this number, we were able to secure 386 convictions, eight discharges, two acquittals and 112 cases to the next session or phase,” Nigeria’s Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi, said.
“We have been able to bring justice to them, or bring them to justice. So this is the clear signal that we are sending,” Fagbemi added.
Many suspects pleaded guilty to charges brought by the government. Court officials said international observers, including representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Amnesty International and the Nigerian Bar Association, monitored the proceedings to ensure the legal process was fair.
Nigeria’s complex security situation
A 16-year insurgency has ravaged northern Nigeria, killing tens of thousands, displacing two million and causing major damage to the local economy.
Islamist groups like Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP have been active for nearly two decades. Their campaign to establish a caliphate has claimed the lives of tens of thousands and displaced millions across the country’s northeast.
There are also disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities, which frequently escalate into deadly clashes in the north-central and northwestern parts of the country. Criminal gangs who kidnap for ransom are also active.
Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez