Abuja, Nigeria — A court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja on Friday convicted more than 300 terrorism suspects in a four-day mass trial.
The mass trial began on Tuesday, with several suspects pleading guilty to charges brought against them by the Nigerian government.
Many of them have been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison after appearing before a panel of 10 judges.
“In total, we brought about 508 cases. Out of these 508, we were able to convict 386,” Nigeria’s attorney general told reporters after the mass hearing on Friday. “We are able to bring them to justice or bring them to justice. So this is a clear signal that we are sending.”
Nigeria is grappling with a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where a decade-long insurgency has raged and many armed groups carry out kidnappings for ransom. The insurgency in the country’s northeast has been going on for more than a decade.
The most prominent Islamic terrorist groups are Boko Haram and its splinter group, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and known as Islamic State West Africa Province. The IS-linked Lakurawa group is also active in communities in the northwestern part of the country bordering Niger Republic.
Disputes over land and grazing between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities in the north-central and north-western parts of the country often erupt into deadly clashes.
Criminal gangs involved in kidnapping for ransom are also active.
According to the United Nations, the insurgency in the Northeast has resulted in the deaths and displacement of many people.
