Nigeria’s Federal Government has spent approximately N1.4 billion on rehabilitating repentant terrorists and establishing centers for terrorism trials over the last year and a half.
This effort is part of the government’s broader strategy to combat terrorism, which includes the establishment of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) following former President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent to the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill in May 2022.
The NCTC has been working to establish two disarmament, deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration centers for repentant members of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups.
The government initially allocated N2.4 billion for these centers as part of the NCTC’s N3.8 billion capital projects for 2023.
According to records, the Ministry of Justice spent N612 million in March 2023 on three firms for the renovation and furnishing of abandoned structures for terrorism case trials and the construction of dormitories for the rehabilitation of repentant terrorists.
An additional N179 million was paid to three firms in 2024 for similar projects.
Meanwhile, the NCTC has secured the conviction of at least 325 terrorists in its Phase 5 and Phase 6 trials at the Kainji Detention Facility.
The trials were conducted secretly, sparking debate among security experts and civil society organizations.
Some experts, like Lekan Jackson-Ojo and Chidi Omeje, have criticized the secret trials, arguing that they lack authenticity and may be seen as protecting the terrorists. However, others, like Kabir Adamu, have justified the secrecy, citing security concerns and the need to prioritize the trial of suspects who have been detained for extended periods.
