By Our Correspondent

National News – Five terrorism convicts have been sentenced to prison by the Federal High Court in Abuja as the Federal Government of Nigeria began a fresh phase of terrorism trials involving about 500 suspects.

The convictions were handed down on Tuesday by two judges who presided over separate cases during the ongoing court proceedings aimed at tackling terrorism-related offences in the country.

The suspects are accused of links to the extremist group Boko Haram and related support activities across northern Nigeria.

The court, presided over by Justice M. O. Olajuwon, sentenced one of the defendants, Yusuf Tuggar Abacha, to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to being a member of Boko Haram, withholding critical information about the group, and participating in terrorist activities.

According to the charges, he admitted to involvement in attacks and failing to report known members of the group to authorities.

The judge ruled that the prison terms would run concurrently and ordered that the convict undergo rehabilitation and de-radicalisation after serving the sentence.

In another case before Justice Binta Nyako, four additional defendants were convicted and sentenced for offences related to terrorism financing, logistical support, and supplying resources to Boko Haram fighters.

The court handed down sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years imprisonment.

One of the convicts, Shehu Bukar, received a 20-year jail term for supplying livestock to the terrorist group, while others were sentenced for providing funds and other support that aided insurgent operations.

Meanwhile, another suspect, Babagana Umar, pleaded not guilty to charges of supplying spare parts and firewood to Boko Haram members in the Sambisa Forest area in 2022.

The court ordered that he be remanded in custody of the Department of State Services pending further hearing of his case.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, confirmed that the trials mark the ninth phase of the government’s mass prosecution of terrorism suspects.

He explained that although 500 suspects are scheduled for trial, 227 were arraigned on the first day as authorities work to accelerate the legal process.

The trials were moved to Abuja to allow multiple judges to sit simultaneously and ensure faster proceedings.

Security around the court premises was heightened as suspects were transported under heavy guard by personnel from the DSS, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Army.

Authorities say the trials are open to observers, including representatives from the Amnesty International, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Nigerian Bar Association, as the government pushes to address terrorism cases more efficiently.