A United States delegation currently on a fact‑finding mission in Nigeria visited the Headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja on Tuesday for a closed‑door meeting with the Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Although details of the session remain confidential, the AGF told reporters that the meeting focused on the nation’s security challenges and efforts to counter extremism through legal processes.
The AGF explained that while the federal government had previously briefed U.S. authorities in Washington on Nigeria’s security situation, the current visit offered an opportunity for “further clarifications.”
According to Fagbemi, the meeting was “about the terrorism going on in the country and to allow us to explain our own side of the story.”
He said, “We have explained this to them when we visited Washington, but I am happy that they are also here to see things for themselves.
“And what is important is to also appraise them that even though we have challenges in Nigeria, it is not religious, we have security challenges and the government is doing its utmost to ensure that these challenges are addressed.
“The one that concerns the Federal Ministry of Justice is about the prosecution of the people arrested in connection with this extremism.”
The AGF, who confirmed the prosecution of some of the apprehended terror suspects, disclosed that about 860 of them were convicted in the last eight years.
Fagbemi said, “I want to seize this opportunity to let you know that, as of today, from 2017 to 2025, we have secured 860 convictions and 891 acquittals, that is, discharges.
“What this speaks to, particularly the issue of discharges of the defendants, is that you don’t just arrest people and then, you know, clamp them into prison.
“We follow due process. They are profiled. Those who have nothing to do are let off the hook. Those whom we believe we have cases against, we take to court. It is for the court to decide.
“So, whenever the court takes a decision, we comply with or abide by the decision. And that is why you have both convictions and acquittals.”
When asked to provide insight into some of the questions the US delegation posed to him, the AGF said he was aware that the delegation would speak before departing Nigeria.
He added, “We are not the only agency that they are visiting. They have visited a number of agencies. I am aware, for example, that they visited the office of the National Security Adviser.
“They have visited the Chief of Defence Staff and a few other agencies. They have also met with some Civil Society Organisations and religious bodies
“But what I want to tell you is that things are not as heinous as people are portraying. I can assure you of that one. We have problems in Nigeria. It is not a problem of religion.”
The delegation that visited the AGF included the US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, Riley M. Barnes, and the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr.
Equally in the meeting, on the part of the FG, was the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jeddy-Agba.
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