2 Ansaru commanders facing terrorism trial trained in Libya, DSS tells court

2026-03-16 - 19:26

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri The Department of State Services (DSS) revealed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday that two Ansaru terrorist sect commanders on trial, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, got trained in handling weapons in Libya. Ansaru, a breakaway faction of the Boko Haram terrorist group, was linked to several high-profile attacks and kidnappings across the country. Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and his deputy, Abba, popularly called Mahmud Al-Nigeri or Isah Adam/Mallam Mamuda, are answering to a 32-count charge the Federal Government preferred against them through the DSS. FG alleged that the defendants, captured between May and July 2025 after intelligence-led operations by security agencies, masterminded various acts of terrorism. They were said to have collected ransom running into millions of naira from families of their victims. At the resumed proceedings, a DSS operative—whose identity was shielded for security reasons—testified before the court that the defendants had confessed to training in Libya. He added that the defendants admitted that it was foreign instructors in Libya who taught them how to manufacture and use improved explosive devices (IEDs). Led in evidence by FG’s lawyer, Mr. David Kaswe, the witness disclosed that their instructors were from Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria. According to the witness, the 1st defedant was arrested after a prolonged intelligence gathering which identified him as the leader of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru). He added that the 2nd defendant, Abba, was arrested by DSS operatives at Ugwan Musa Bypass in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The witness told the court that the defendants not only admitted to being members of Ansaru, but also confessed their participation in various terror attacks, arned robbery and illegal mining activities across the North-West, North-Central, South-West and in Edo and Delta States. He said the defendants also revealed that they founded a cell of the terrorist sect in Jigawa after several meetings they held in 2012. More so, the witness saod the 2nd defendant admitted his participation in an attack on a Nigerian Army formation in Wawa in 2020, which allegedly resulted in the death of several soldiers. According to the witness, the defendants also confessed to kidnapping the in-law of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, as well as an immigration officer and a customs officer. He said the 2nd defendant said he swore allegiance to the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which allegedly supplied the group with arms and ammunition. Meanwhile, attempt by the prosecution counsel to tender in evidence what he said were confessional statements of the defendants was resisted by their lawyer, Mr. Bala Dakum. The defence lawyer challenged the admissibility of the statements which he insisted were not voluntarily made. Dakum alleged that his clients were coerced into admitting to the commission of crimes. Following the contention, trial Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case until April 13, even as he ordered a trial-within-trial to ascertain the voluntariness or otherwise of the said confessional statements the prosecution sought to tender in evidence. In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025, FG alleged that Usman who is from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, and one Mahmud Al-Nigeri from Daura LGA of Katsina State, aided and abetted terrorist attacks that occurred in the country between 2013 and 2015. It told the court that the defendants conspired and agreed to serve as top commanders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (JAMBS/Ansaru), a proscribed organisation in Nigeria that has links with the Al Qaeda terrorist network. The defendants were further accused of receiving training in weapons handling, fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and war tactics from Jama’atu Nusratil Islami Wal Muslimin (JNIM), a Mali-based terrorist group. More so, FG alleged that they participated in the 2022 attack on Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in New-Bussa, Niger State, which resulted in mass casualties. Usman was described as the “coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund terrorism.” According to the prosecution, the defendants who are currently in custody of the Department of State Services, DSS, an Immigration officer that was kidnapped by the defendants, died in their den. Arrest of the defendants was announced on August 16 by the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, who disclosed that they had been on national and international terror watch lists. The 1st defendant, Usman, was on September 11, sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count in the charge against them. He admitted before the court that he engaged in illegal mining activities and used the proceeds to acquire arms that aided his terrorism and kidnapping activities. Usman however denied other allegations FG levelled against him in the charge before the court. On his part, the 2nd defendant, Abba, pleaded not guilty to the entire charge.