Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, two suspected Ansaru sect leaders, will go on trial for terrorism on January 15, 2026, according to the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice Emeka Nwite postponed the trial, which was originally scheduled to start on Wednesday, after defense attorney B. I. Bakum informed the court that he had not received the accusations and supporting documentation from the Department of State Services (DSS), where the defendants are presently detained.
Additionally, Bakum said that his clients’ present incarceration at the DSS facility restricts their access and trial preparation, thus he asked the court to compel their transfer to a penitentiary facility.
DSS attorney David Kaswe, an Assistant Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice, disagreed, arguing that since prosecution witnesses were already in court, the trial ought to go forward.
Noting that the defense had not yet submitted such letters, Kaswe contended that the DSS operates a formal system requiring written requests before counsel can visit detainees.
He asked the court to order Bakum to follow DSS guidelines and to include the prosecution in all future contact.
In a succinct decision, Justice Nwite stated that the defense must be allowed enough time to examine the case file in order for the hearing to be fair.
The judge decided that “counsel must have adequate access to their clients and study the evidence before trial can begin” and postponed the start date until January 15, 2026.
He mandated that the defense copy the prosecution in every correspondence and send a formal letter to the DSS to facilitate access.
A 32-count complaint against Usman and Abba includes allegations of terrorism, terrorism financing, kidnapping, manufacturing of weapons, illicit mining, and association with overseas terror networks.
Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, contested the other 31 charges but entered a guilty plea to Count 10, an economic felony connected to illicit mining. Abba entered a not guilty plea to each accusation.
Usman was given a 15-year prison sentence in September for engaging in illicit mining and using the money he made to buy weapons for kidnapping and terrorism.
The DSS claims that the defendants committed several offenses between 2015 and 2024, such as:
Bombing the Niger State military cantonment at Wawa
Getting training with weaponry in Mali and Sudan
Making IEDs (improvised explosive devices)
Abduction of security personnel
Using the money from illicit mining to finance terrorists
Coordinating activities and training Ansaru fighters
The prosecution claims that millions of naira obtained from illicit mining were used to buy weapons, ammunition, and IED components.
Between May and July 2025, intelligence-led activities resulted in the arrest of both suspects.
Ansaru, a Boko Haram offshoot group, has been connected to a number of high-profile incidents, including attacks on military units and kidnappings of foreigners.
