LACON PROVIDES FREE DEFENCE FOR 1,497 TERRORISM SUSPECTS

The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has provided free legal representation to 1,497 defendants facing terrorism charges between July 2025 and June 2026.

The Director-General of the Council, Aliyu Abubakar, disclosed this while presenting the agency’s report at the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Abubakar said the intervention was part of LACON’s efforts to promote human rights and ensure that Nigerians who cannot afford legal representation are able to access justice.

He explained that lawyers from the council visited New Bussa in Niger State and Maiduguri in Borno State to interact with and interview terrorism suspects as part of the legal assistance programme.

A breakdown of the figures showed that 253 defendants detained at Wawa Cantonment, Kainji, received legal representation in July 2025, while 96 suspects at Dawaki, Abuja, were assisted in December of the same year.

The council subsequently provided legal services to another 490 defendants at Dawaki in April 2026, while 658 others received assistance in June, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 1,497.

Abubakar said the council also recorded a significant increase in the number of cases handled during the period under review, allowing more Nigerians to benefit from its free legal services.

He further disclosed that LACON’s Police Duty Solicitors’ Scheme, established in 2004, handled 1,163 cases during the period. The scheme provides legal assistance to people who come into conflict with the law at police formations across the country.

According to the LACON boss, the council intends to expand the Police Duty Solicitors’ Scheme to all 36 states, enabling suspects arrested by the police to have easier access to legal assistance.

He said improved funding had enabled the council to begin preparations for the nationwide expansion, with lawyers undergoing the National Youth Service Corps programme expected to serve as duty solicitors.

LACON has also collaborated with organisations including International IDEA, Partners West Africa Nigeria and branches of the Nigerian Bar Association to implement the scheme in various states.

The council, which operates under the Federal Ministry of Justice, was established in 1976, while its mandate was expanded under the Legal Aid Act 2011 to cover criminal defence, civil matters, community legal services, alternative dispute resolution and assistance to road traffic victims.

The latest figures highlight the council’s continuing efforts to strengthen access to justice, particularly for suspects facing serious criminal charges who may otherwise be unable to afford legal representation.