At least 5,000 individuals suspected of terrorism-related offenses are currently being held in pre-trial detention facilities across Nigeria.

This information is detailed in the 2025–2030 Strategic Plan of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC). The report states that the NCTC’s legal team, in collaboration with the Defence Headquarters and the Federal Ministry of Justice, has been reviewing case files to either fast-track prosecutions or dismiss charges that lack sufficient evidence.

“Currently, around 5,000 people suspected of involvement in terrorism are in pre-trial detention. This has created a substantial backlog of cases. The NCTC legal team, working alongside the Defence Staff and the Federal Ministry of Justice, is assisting in reviewing these cases to expedite prosecutions or dismiss charges that cannot be substantiated in court,” the plan stated.

The document also noted that the NCTC has been coordinating hearings at the Federal High Court, both in Wawa Military Cantonment in Kanji, Niger State, and in Abuja.