The Federal Government has secured 860 convictions in terrorism-related cases between 2017 and 2025, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), disclosed on Tuesday, December 9, in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with a United States Congressman and US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr., Fagbemi highlighted the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to due process in prosecuting extremism and terrorism suspects.
“From 2017 to 2025, we have secured 860 convictions and 891 acquittals. What this speaks to, particularly the issue of discharges of the defendants, is that we don’t just arrest people and clamp them into prison.
“We follow due process. They are profiled. Those who have nothing to do with it are let off the hook. Those we believe we have cases against, we take them to court. It is for the court to decide,” he said.
Fagbemi stressed that the convictions demonstrate the government’s dedication to the rule of law while ensuring innocent individuals are not wrongfully detained.
READ ALSO: Prioritise Swift Resolution of Commercial Disputes, AGF Tells Judges
“So whenever the court takes a decision, we comply with or abide by the decision, and that is why we have both convictions and acquittals,” he added.
The AGF also updated the visiting US delegation on ongoing terrorism prosecutions, noting that his ministry plays a central role in handling suspects arrested for extremism-related offences.
“The one that concerns the Federal Ministry of Justice is about the prosecution of the people arrested in connection with extremism, and we are able to explain to them how far we have come and what we are also doing,” he said.
Fagbemi further urged Nigerians to avoid exaggerating the country’s security challenges, emphasising that the issues are not religiously motivated.
“I want to tell you that things are not as heinous as people are portraying. We have problems in Nigeria. It is not a problem of religion,” he stated.
The US delegation also visited several security agencies, civil society groups, and religious organisations to assess Nigeria’s security situation firsthand.