By Muhammad Mamman
The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed that the trial of two internationally wanted terror suspects — Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Abubakar Abba, alleged leaders of ANSARU, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate — will resume on 19 November before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In a statement issued by Favour Dozie, Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, the DSS revealed that the two men were captured in July following a months-long, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation.
Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, is said to have served as the self-styled Emir of ANSARU, coordinating a network of sleeper cells across Nigeria and allegedly masterminding high-profile kidnappings and robberies to fund terrorism.
His deputy, Abba — also known by the aliases Isah Adam and Mahmud Al-Nigeri — is accused of leading the so-called Mahmudawa cell, which operated around Kainji National Park on the border between Niger and Kwara States, extending into Benin Republic.
According to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Usman received weapons and explosives training in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under the supervision of foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.
The duo face a 32-count terrorism charge, including offences relating to illegal mining. Usman has already pleaded guilty to the illegal mining charge and received a 15-year sentence, while Abba pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Meanwhile, the DSS is also prosecuting Khalid Al-Barnawi, alleged mastermind of the 2011 United Nations Building bombing in Abuja, which killed 20 people and injured more than 70. Captured in 2016, Al-Barnawi is being tried alongside four alleged accomplices. Recent hearings included the playback of their recorded confessional statements in court, following a trial-within-trial held in late October.
In a separate case, five men have been charged over the June 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which left over 40 people dead and more than 100 injured. The accused — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — are alleged members of Al-Shabab, with a cell based in Kogi State. They have all pleaded not guilty and remain in custody following a bail refusal by Justice Nwite, who described the offences as “capital in nature”.
Additionally, the DSS has filed terrorism charges against suspects arrested in connection with the June 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue State, in which dozens were killed and more than 100 injured. Nine suspects are now on trial, while two others remain at large. The agency has also charged two men accused of launching reprisal attacks following the massacre.
Speaking on the ongoing trials, DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi said the prosecutions demonstrate the country’s resolve to hold terror perpetrators accountable.
“Nigeria’s security agencies remain steadfast in bringing terrorists to justice,” Ajayi stated. “We are prosecuting these men in accordance with the rule of law — separate from the hundreds of suspects under military custody whose cases are being handled by the Attorney-General’s Office. Last year alone, 125 terrorists were convicted. We shall not relent in our duty to safeguard the peace of our nation.”
The renewed legal momentum signals a coordinated push by Nigeria’s security and judicial institutions to dismantle terrorist networks, deliver justice for victims, and reaffirm the rule of law in the fight against extremism.
