About 5,000 individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism-related activities are currently being held in pre-trial detention facilities across the country, and this large number of detainees has created a significant backlog of terrorism cases, contained in the 2025–2030 Strategic Plan of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre.
The NCTC disclosed that its legal team, working with the Defence Headquarters and the Federal Ministry of Justice, has been reviewing the files to fast-track prosecutions or dismiss cases lacking sufficient evidence. They also said that in 2024, the support provided through this framework led to the prosecution of 393 terrorism-related cases, resulting in 329 convictions.
However, according to the document, Nigeria is set to introduce DNA profiling into a proposed National Database on Terrorism as part of renewed efforts to strengthen investigations, prosecutions and intelligence-sharing on terrorist groups.
