A four-day mass trial at the federal high court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has issued nearly 400 people with jail sentences ranging from five years to life. Convictions came after the accused were linked to Boko Haram or the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a rival splinter group.
The trial concluded on Friday, 10 April and secured 386 convictions on terrorism charges from 508 cases. Charges were laid for taking part in attacks or supporting extremists through funding, supplying arms, or providing logistical support. There were also eight discharges, two acquittals, and 112 cases that will be part of the next trial session.
Some of the accused pleaded guilty at the start of court proceedings. Various organisations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Amnesty International, and the Nigerian Bar Association, monitored proceedings to ensure the legal process was fair.
A Long History of Terror
Several Islamist extremist groups have a broad and oppressive presence in the region, particularly in the north, which is predominantly Muslim. At the start of the insurgency in northern Nigeria, much of the violence towards the church was concentrated in the northeast. Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were largely responsible. ISWAP has ties to the same extremist groups and ideologies that drove the so-called Islamic State (IS) to take over parts of Syria and Iraq ten years ago. Both groups have radicalised ideologies to build an Islamic state.
The security situation in Nigeria remains complex, and several conflicts exist that affect Christian and other vulnerable communities. Today, much of the violence has migrated to the Middle Belt and is largely perpetrated by Fulani extremists.
John Samuel*, Open Doors’ legal expert in Sub-Saharan Africa, says of recent efforts to bring justice, “We welcome the Nigerian Government’s increasing efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. One of the Arise Africa Campaign [One With Them campaign in Australia and New Zealand] asks is a call for justice through fair prosecution of the attackers. However, given the scale of violence and the persistence of insecurity, such as the recent Jos attack on Palm Sunday, we urge the Government to do more in ensuring protection of civilians and intensify its actions to ensure accountability.”
Nigeria is #7 on the World Watch List 2026.
Pray for Nigeria
- That future trials will succeed in convicting terrorists or those assisting them
- For a fair and transparent justice process that leads to rightful convictions
- For healing of those who lost loved ones at the hands of those convicted
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