Nigeria’s Boko Haram Trials Target Low-Level Suspects, Fail Fairness Tests

Human Rights Watch says Nigeria’s prosecution of Boko Haram suspects is not delivering justice. The trials focus mostly on low-level suspects and raise serious concerns about fair trials, the group reported on July 22. In April and June 2026, Nigeria started two new phases of terrorism trials. Over 500 defendants appeared in April, and about 600 in June. Most are accused of providing material support to armed groups. Prosecutors are not prioritizing the leaders who committed the worst crimes. Human Rights Watch observed the trials in five courtrooms. It found that prosecutors did not present witnesses or circumstantial evidence. All convictions were based on guilty pleas. Judges used only confession statements and investigation reports as supporting evidence. Many defendants pleaded guilty to charges like paying taxes, supplying food, or rearing livestock for Boko Haram. In some cases, defendants said they acted under duress or feared for their families. Despite this, they received prison sentences ranging from 10 to 80 years. The Nigerian government says its approach aims to disrupt terrorist networks while protecting defendants’ rights. But Human Rights Watch argues that the trials fail to hold the most responsible people accountable. The group also notes that defendants often spent years in pretrial detention, some since 2016. Nigeria’s Terrorism Act makes it a crime to provide material support to banned groups. But the law is broad. It can punish people who had no real choice, such as those living under Boko Haram control. The 2023 version of the law removed a “reasonable excuse” defense for failing to report terrorist activity. In March 2026, the International Criminal Court signed an agreement with Nigeria. It allows Nigeria to investigate and prosecute serious crimes itself. But Human Rights Watch says the current trials show the government is not serious about fair and credible justice. “Nigerian authorities should hold those responsible for atrocities to account, but they repeatedly prosecute people with tenuous connections to the most serious crimes,” said Anietie Ewang, a Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Prosecutions should target higher-level offenders and meet fair trial standards.”