The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled January 15, 2026, for the trial of two alleged leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba.
The trial was originally set to start on Wednesday, but Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the proceedings after defence counsel, B. I. Bakum, informed the court he had not yet been served with the charges and proof of evidence held by the Department of State Services (DSS), where the defendants are currently held.
Bakum also requested that the court transfer his clients to a correctional centre to allow easier access ahead of trial.
However, DSS counsel, David Kaswe, an Assistant Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice, opposed the motion, insisting the trial should continue since prosecution witnesses were already present.
He explained that the DSS requires formal written requests before counsel can access detainees, adding that the defence had not followed this procedure.
Kaswe asked the court to compel the defence lawyer to adhere to DSS protocol and copy the prosecution on all correspondence to ensure smooth proceedings.
In a brief ruling, Justice Nwite said a fair hearing required that the defendants’ counsel be given sufficient time to review the case file. He then rescheduled the trial to January 15, 2026, ordering the defence to formally write the DSS for access and copy the prosecution on all future letters.
Usman and Abba face a 32-count terrorism charge filed by the DSS. Usman has pleaded guilty to Count 10, which relates to economic crimes, but denied the remaining 31 counts. Abba pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In September, Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting he engaged in illegal mining and used the proceeds to purchase weapons for terrorism and kidnapping.
The defendants are accused of committing various terrorism-related offences between 2015 and 2024, including bombing the Wawa Military Cantonment in Niger State, receiving weapons training, constructing IEDs, kidnapping security operatives, financing terrorism, and belonging to foreign terror networks.
They were also alleged to have engaged in illegal mining, earning millions of naira used to procure arms and ammunition, including improvised explosive devices. The DSS claims they received training in Sudan and Mali, and also trained their followers.
Both suspects were apprehended in intelligence-led operations between May and July 2025.
Justice Nwite had earlier ordered their remand at the DSS facility pending trial.
Ansaru, a splinter faction of Boko Haram, has been linked to multiple high-profile attacks and kidnappings across Nigeria.
