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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), said Nigeria has conducted eight phases of terrorism-related trials, leading to 775 convictions.
NCTC National Coordinator, Major General Adamu Laka, who made this known, said the trials demonstrated Nigeria’s resolve to pursue justice through lawful processes, while also providing avenues for rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant fighters.
Gen. Laka, said this at the opening of the Regional Conference on Combating Emerging Terrorist Groups and Strengthening Sustainable Security in the ECOWAS Region and the Sahel, organized in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission.
The conference brought together security chiefs, policymakers, regional institutions, and development partners to review strategies for addressing terrorism and violent extremism.
“So far, we have conducted eight phases of terrorism trials with 775 convictions.
“This sends a clear message that terrorism will not go unpunished, and at the same time, our approach recognises the need for non-kinetic measures such as dialogue, reconciliation, empowerment, and community resilience,”
Laka, said that Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts were anchored on the “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approaches, bringing together state institutions, civil society, religious and traditional leaders, the private sector, and youth.
He pointed out that while military actions remained important, sustainable security required winning hearts and minds, restoring trust in governance, and addressing root causes of terrorism such as poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion.
He said that Nigeria hosted the African Counter Terrorism Summit in April 2024, which produced the Abuja Declaration recognising the Centre as a Regional Centre of Excellence for Counter Terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel.
Laka said the current regional conference was designed to consolidate that mandate by deepening regional cooperation and producing actionable recommendations.
Laka, who expressed the hope the two-day conference would yield a situational analysis of emerging terrorist groups, renewed commitment to operationalise the ECOWAS Counterterrorism Force, and practical strategies for intelligence sharing and securing porous borders, said that mainstreaming youth, civil society, and the media into regional security architecture would also be a key outcome.
