Nigeria, July 1 -- Twelve defendants have been sentenced to death by hanging while many others were handed long prison terms in terrorism and kidnapping cases prosecuted by the State Security Service (SSS), court documents reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES have shown.

Those condemned to death were convicted of terrorism, conspiracy, kidnapping, murder, arms trafficking and aiding terrorist groups.

A highlight of the development is the 3 June sentence by the Federal High Court of Idris Omeiza, Alqasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik and Abdulhaleem Idris to death by hanging over the 5 June 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.

Dozens of other defendants received sentences ranging from two years to life imprisonment in the terrori...