The Federal Government started the trial of 500 suspects on Tuesday at the Abuja Federal High Court. These people are accused of being involved in several terror attacks across the country.

The suspects are said to have taken part in attacks in the northern parts of the country where more than 2000 Nigerians have been killed and property has been destroyed.

Others are accused of helping and supporting these terrible acts of terrorism. This includes giving money, weapons and bullets, as well as food supplies. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, led the prosecution team. He was supported by the Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation, DPPF, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.

The Director of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Mr Aliu Bagudu Abubakar, led the defence team with help from several lawyers.

Fagbemi confirmed that the Federal Government had decided to go ahead with the trial. He said that a total of 227 suspects were being tried before 10 judges of the Federal High Court.

He thanked the judges for giving up their Easter holiday to run the trial of the suspects. To make sure the trial was open and fair, and that proper legal process was followed, he said the Federal Government invited representatives from international bodies. These included Amnesty International, human rights groups and the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, to watch the proceedings.

The suspects were brought to court in loads of trucks with heavy security. Armed soldiers, Department of State Service, DSS, operatives and police provided protection.

In one of the proceedings, Justice Binta Fatima Nyako sentenced a major food supplier to the Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State, Hamatu Modu, to 40 years in prison for his involvement in terrorism. Modu admitted in open court to supplying food items and information to terrorists. He was put on trial by the federal government through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Justice Nyako sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

In another case, Isah Ali, another Boko Haram food supplier in Borno, was jailed for 10 years by Justice Nyako.

Also, the court sentenced a father of three children, Sheu Buka, to 20 years in prison for selling goats to Boko Haram terrorists in Borno.

In the same way, a father of six children, Hamza Yahuza, was sentenced to seven years in prison for selling Indian hemp and cigarettes to Boko Haram terrorists, also in Borno state.

Justice Nyako ordered that the convicted men must go through rehabilitation and deradicalisation at the end of their prison terms.

The Federal Ministry of Interior was ordered to decide where the convicted men will serve their prison terms.

The trials will continue on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.