ABUJA — The Federal Government has secured 653 convictions in the ongoing 11th phase of mass terrorism trials at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi said on Friday, according to Matrix News and The Sun Nigeria.

Source: Matrix News

Fagbemi said 1,060 suspects were brought before the court for this phase, which ran from October 19 to October 24 and was the third phase conducted this year. As of 12:15 p.m. on Friday, about 880 cases had been tried, resulting in 653 convictions, seven acquittals and 27 discharges, he said. The figures were provisional, with final figures to be released after the exercise concluded.

Source: The Sun Nigeria

1,060suspects brought for the 11th phase, the AGF said
880cases tried by Friday noon
653convictions secured
7 acquitted, 27 dischargedother outcomes among the cases tried, the AGF said

Fagbemi described the current phase as apparently the largest since the Federal Government began conducting special terrorism trials, ThisAge reported, attributing the progress to cooperation among the judiciary, prosecutors, defence lawyers and security agencies.

Source: ThisAge

He particularly commended the judges handling the cases under Justice Binta Nyako, who has been acting on behalf of Chief Judge John Tsoho, and acknowledged the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the military, the police, correctional centres and the Legal Aid Council, Matrix News reported.

Source: Matrix News

Fagbemi dismissed suggestions that journalists had been barred from covering the proceedings, saying security arrangements were necessary because of the sensitive nature of terrorism cases and that accredited journalists were permitted access, according to the reports. Defence representation included Legal Aid Council lawyers as well as private practitioners, he said.

Source: The Sun Nigeria

The mass trials are Nigeria's mechanism for processing large numbers of terrorism and terrorism-financing suspects through special court sittings. The attorney general said the final figures for this phase would be given once the exercise finished; Awaaz Punjab will treat any later final tally as an update to these provisional Friday figures, which are attributed throughout to the attorney general.