The Nigerian authorities on Thursday arraigned two high leaders of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, on terrorism-related costs on the Federal Excessive Court docket in Abuja.
One of many suspected terrorists instantly pleaded responsible to unlawful mining cost, and was pronounced responsible by the court docket.
The defendants – Mahmud Muhammed Usman (a.ok.a. Abu Bara’a/Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abba (a.ok.a. Isah Adam/Mahmud Al-Nigeri) – have been arraigned earlier than choose Emeka Nwite on 32 counts of terrorism.
The proceedings, which lasted over 4 hours, have been held amid tight safety across the court docket.
One of many defendants, Mr Usman, pleaded responsible to Depend 10, which accused him of mining valuable minerals with out lawful authority. The offence is claimed to be opposite to part 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004, and punishable beneath the identical part.
The court docket convicted Mr Usman on the unlawful mining cost and convicted him.
Nonetheless, Mr Usman pleaded not responsible to the remaining 31 counts, whereas Mr Abba pleaded not responsible to all 32 counts.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, M.B. Abubakar, urged the court docket to order their continued detention within the State Safety Service (SSS) custody, citing nationwide safety considerations.
However the defence counsel argued that such a request violated Part 299 of the Administration of Prison Justice Act, insisting that the defendants must be remanded in jail all through the trial.
Tight safety
As early as 8:06 a.m. on Thursday, amid heavy rainfall, operatives of the State Safety Service (SSS) armed with rifles, had taken positions on the entrances of the Federal Excessive Court docket on the Shehu Shagari Expressway, within the Central Enterprise District, Abuja.
When the suspects have been delivered to the courtroom at about 9:09 a.m., journalists have been barred from getting into the court docket premises.
SSS operatives stopped broadcast journalists from mounting their cameras to seize the unfolding scenes. The safety brokers insisted that no recording gadgets could be allowed.
Finally, a couple of broadcast journalists have been allowed into the court docket, whereas the operatives stood guard on the entrance with their weapons, stopping others from gaining entry.
The defendants have been captured alive following a high-risk, intelligence-led, multi-agency operation carried out between Might and July 2025. Nationwide Safety Adviser Nuhu Ribadu introduced the high-profile arrest in mid-August.
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The federal authorities, by way of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, filed the costs on 4 September, on behalf of the Legal professional-Normal of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
One of many counts accused Mr Usman, from Okene Native Authorities Space of Kogi State, and Mr Abba, from Daura LGA of Katsina State, of aiding and abetting terrorism between 2013 and 2015.
They have been additionally accused of conspiring and agreeing to be a part of the formation and management of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
