The Federal Government has approved a budget of approximately N1.4 billion for the rehabilitation of repentant terrorists and the establishment of terrorism trial centres in Nigeria. This initiative, part of the government’s efforts to combat terrorism, follows the signing of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill into law by former President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2022.
The National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) was subsequently established to oversee these rehabilitation efforts. Plans were announced in December 2022 to construct two facilities for the disarmament, deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of former Boko Haram members and other terrorist factions.
According to Rear Admiral Yem Musa (retd.), the coordinator of the NCTC, N2.4 billion will be allocated for these centres as part of the NCTC’s N3.8 billion capital projects for 2023. The Ministry of Justice has already spent N1.4 billion between December 2022 and May 2024 on these rehabilitation centres and the renovation of facilities for terrorism trials.
This includes N612 million used to renovate structures for terrorism trials and construct dormitories for repentant terrorists under Operation Safe Corridor. An additional N179 million was spent in 2024 on projects such as procuring equipment for terrorism case prosecutions.
Punch reports that Rear Admiral Yem Musa (retd.), the coordinator of the NCTC, confirmed to the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence that N2.4bn would be allocated to these centres as part of the NCTC’s N3.8bn capital projects for 2023.
According to data from the GovSpend platform, between December 2022 and May 2024, the Ministry of Justice expended a total of N1.4bn on these rehabilitation centres and the renovation of facilities for terrorism trials.
The NCTC recently announced that 325 convictions were secured during Phase 5 and Phase 6 trials at the Kainji Detention Facility, with sentences ranging from the death penalty to life imprisonment. However, concerns have been raised about the secrecy surrounding these trials, with security experts and civil society organizations calling for more transparency.
While some argue that transparency is essential for public trust, others point to security reasons for the closed-door nature of these trials. The government has yet to provide a clear rationale for this approach, leaving questions unanswered.
