It appears that the Federal Government has started taking decisive steps to stem the tide of terrorism in the country. The Boko Haram terror group that has been operating in the North East since 2009 before spreading to other parts of the North has been used to being treated with kid gloves.

When the military apprehends members of the group, the best that comes out of it is their arraignment; thereafter little is heard of the cases, thus further weakening public confidence in the state and its security forces. As was the case with Kabiru Sokoto, a notorious Boko Haram terrorist, he was able to escape from police custody in 2012. It took the intervention of the Department of State Services (DSS) to recapture him in Taraba State.

So many times, previous governments had promised to name and arraign sponsors of these merchants of death, but nothing more was heard about the issue. That more than 200 terrorists were convicted recently in Kainji, Niger State is a step forward, but there is much more to be done. It would appear that the trials, which were conducted from December 9 to 13, 2024, were private and not open to the media because of security considerations. But it is surprising that the state, which is expected to have the capacity to provide adequate security, could be afraid of non-state actors. If the Nigerian state could be scared of these presumably poorly trained criminals, what about common citizens?

Going forward, the government should make public all efforts to rout these enemies of state, be they Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, murderous herders or kidnappers. The entire process, from arrest to prosecution and sentence should be made public. Also, efforts should be stepped up to bring terrorism financiers to book. For the state to win public confidence, there must be clarity on the issue of justice for the terrorists and their backers.

Even the statement from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) informing the public of the sentences given to the convicted terrorists was not detailed enough. The statement said: ?Among those sentenced to the maximum penalty were individuals found guilty of heinous offences, including attacks on women and children, destruction of religious sites, the slaughter of innocent civilians, and the abduction of women and children in a brutal assault at Gina Kara Kai community in Borno State.

?Additionally, individuals involved in terrorism-financing ? a critical enabler of violent activities ? were sentenced to life imprisonment, underscoring the Federal Government?s unyielding resolve to dismantle all aspects of terrorist networks.?

It merely pointed out that some received the death sentence, while others were sentenced to prison for between 20 and 70 years. Who were they? The statement also suggested that some sponsors were tried and jailed, but their identities were kept secret. Why?

When armed robbers and other regular criminals are tried, it is usually in open court with journalists in attendance. Why should the case be different for terrorists? Their activities: Churches and mosques have been bombed, traditional rulers beheaded, girls abducted and turned to sex slaves, schools violated, religious leaders and grandparents subjected to indignity without taking their positions and age into account. In many daring moves, they have attacked military formations, planted landmines that caused death of officers and men of the Armed Forces and even attempted to hoist strange flags on Nigerian territory.

Their activities have arrested national development for more than a decade. Scarce resources that could have been applied to providing infrastructure in the various sectors of the economy and parts of the country have been used for importing weapons to fight the anti-terror war. These are reasons Nigerians should not be kept in the dark concerning the trials of terrorists and their sponsors. They should be named, shamed and prosecuted in public.

Importantly, the judiciary should be more sensitive to the need for speedy trials for terrorism suspects. We call on the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to work with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to achieve. (The Nation Editorial)

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