The Department of State Services (DSS) has provided an update on the ongoing prosecution of several high-profile terrorism cases, including that of two internationally wanted suspects — Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Abubakar Abba — alleged leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group.
According to the agency, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, will continue the trial of the duo on November 19, 2025. The suspects, captured in July during an intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation, are facing 32-count terrorism charges.
Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, is alleged to be the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru and the coordinator of multiple terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria, while Abba, also called Isah Adam and Mahmud Al-Nigeri, reportedly led the “Mahmudawa” cell operating around the Kainji National Park area.
Usman has pleaded guilty to one count of illegal mining and has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, while Abba pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The DSS also confirmed progress in the trial of Khalid Al-Barnawi, alleged mastermind of the 2011 United Nations building bombing in Abuja, which killed 20 people and injured more than 70.
The case, involving four co-defendants, has been delayed due to legal and procedural challenges, but Justice Nwite has now granted the agency’s request for an accelerated hearing.
In a separate case, five men are on trial for the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which left over 40 dead and more than 100 injured. The suspects — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — have pleaded not guilty to a nine-count terrorism charge.
Similarly, trials are underway for suspects linked to the Yelwata massacre in Benue State’s Guma Local Government Area on June 13, 2025, which killed dozens and injured 107 people.
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The DSS has charged nine individuals with terrorism-related offences before the Federal High Court, with two others still at large.
DSS Director General, Tosin Ajayi, said the series of prosecutions demonstrate the agency’s commitment to ensuring accountability in line with the rule of law.
“The men we are prosecuting are separate from the hundreds of suspects under military custody being handled by the Office of the Attorney General. In July last year alone, 125 terrorists were convicted,” Ajayi stated.
He reaffirmed the DSS’s resolve to continue pursuing and prosecuting individuals involved in acts of terror across the country.
