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 sentences of up to 20 years after appearing before a panel of 10 judges.
The prosecution, which began on Tuesday, is part of a series of trials involving suspects from Boko Haram and the so-called Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Conviction ensured in 386 out of 508 cases
Nigeria’s Attorney General, Lateef Fagbemi, said, “We brought 508 cases to court and out of this number, we were able to convict 386 cases, discharge eight, acquit two and secure 112 cases for the next session or stage.”
“We are able to bring them to justice or bring them to justice. So that’s a clear signal we are sending,” Fagbemi said.
Many of the suspects pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them by the Nigerian 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 court proceedings to ensure that the legal process was fair.
Nigeria’s complex security situation
A 16-year insurgency has ravaged northern Nigeria, killing thousands, displacing two million and causing major damage to the local economy.
Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and its offshoot, the so-called Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have been active for nearly two decades.
His campaign to establish a caliphate in the country has taken thousands of lives and displaced millions in the north-east of the country.
There are also disputes over land and pastureland between the mostly Muslim Fulani herders and the largely Christian farming communities.
These disputes often escalate into deadly clashes in the north-central and north-western parts of the country.
Criminal gangs involved in kidnapping for ransom are also active.
Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez