By Favour Dozie
The Department of State Services (DSS) has provided fresh updates on the prosecution of several terrorism suspects currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
On November 19, Justice Emeka Nwite is expected to continue the trial of Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Abubakar Abba, two alleged leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate.
Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and Abba, alias Isah Adam and Mahmud Al-Nigeri, were captured in July during a high-risk, intelligence-led counterterrorism operation by the DSS, after months of surveillance and pursuit.
Usman, described as the self-styled Emir of ANSARU, allegedly coordinated various terrorist sleeper cells across the country and masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and robberies to fund terrorism.
His deputy, Abba, was said to have led the “Mahmudawa” cell operating around Kainji National Park, bordering Niger and Kwara States and the Republic of Benin.
According to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Usman received terrorist training in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The suspects are facing a 32-count terrorism charge. Usman earlier pleaded guilty to one count bordering on illegal mining and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Abba pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Ongoing Trial of UN House Bombing Suspects
The DSS is also prosecuting Khalid Al-Barnawi, alleged mastermind of the August 26, 2011 United Nations Building bombing in Abuja, which killed 20 people and injured over 70 others.
Al-Barnawi, arrested in 2016, is standing trial alongside Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (aka Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu (aka Bello Maishayi).
The proceedings have suffered repeated delays over procedural challenges and lack of legal representation for the defendants. Recently, the DSS sought and obtained accelerated hearing from Justice Nwite. During a trial-within-trial held on October 23 and 24, videos of the defendants’ confessional statements were played in court.
Owo Church Attack Suspects Face Trial
In a separate case, the DSS arraigned five men — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — for their alleged role in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which claimed over 40 lives and injured more than 100 others.
They were arraigned on a nine-count terrorism charge (FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025) accusing them of belonging to the Al-Shabab terrorist group with operational cells in Kogi State. The defendants pleaded not guilty and were remanded in DSS custody.
Justice Nwite later denied them bail, ruling that the offences were capital in nature and the evidence against them was “strong and compelling.”
Yelwata Massacre Suspects Also in Court
The DSS is additionally prosecuting suspects linked to the June 13, 2025 Yelwata massacre in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, which left dozens dead and over 100 others injured.
Following President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the state and a directive for arrests, 26 suspects were apprehended. Nine of them — including Musa Beniyon, Bako Malowa, Ibrahim Tunga, Asara Ahnadu, Legu Musa, Adamu Yale, Boddi Ayuba, and Pyeure Damina — are now facing terrorism charges before Justice Nwite.
Two suspects, Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi, remain at large.
The DSS also charged Terkende Ashuwa and Amos Alede, both from Guma LGA, for allegedly launching a reprisal attack following the Yelwata killings. Their trial began in early September, with both defendants pleading not guilty.
DSS Reaffirms Commitment to Justice
DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi said the arrests and ongoing prosecutions underscore the government’s resolve to ensure accountability among terror actors.
The various arrests and trials of terrorism suspects show that Nigeria’s security agencies have been diligent in dealing with the perpetrators of terror in the country.
These men are separate from the hundreds of suspects under military protective custody whose cases are being handled by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. In July last year alone, 125 terrorists were convicted.
We shall continue to make the suspects accountable for disrupting the peace of our country, in consonance with the rule of law.”
Favour Dozie
Deputy Director, Public Relations and Strategic Communication
