The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, adjourned the trial of the two Ansaru leaders; Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, until Nov. 19 for continuation of trial on alleged terrorism charges.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case following the absence of counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), Mohammed Abubakar, in court.
The DSS lawyer had, in a letter to the registrar of the court, apologised for his inability to be in court and sought an adjournment to enable him be in court on the next adjourned date to conduct the trial.
Counsel to the defence did not oppose the application and Justice Nwite subsequently fixed Nov. 19 for the trial of the two defendants.
The judge had, on Sept. 11, convicted and sentenced Usman, a.k.a Abu Bara’a/Abbas Mukhtar, to 15 years imprisonment for illegal mining.
The development was after Usman pleaded guilty to count 10 of the 32-count terrorism charge preferred against him and his deputy commander, Abba, a.k.a Isah Adam/Mahmud Al-Nigeri.
Usman and Abba, in count 10, were alleged to have, sometimes between 2015 and 2025 committed the illegal mining offence.
They were accused to have mined precious minerals such as thunder and california stones without lawful authority.
The offence, according to the Federal Government, is contrary to and punishable under Section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, LFN 2004, and punishable under the same Section of the Act.
Although Usman pleaded guilty to count 10, Abba, who is a deputy commander of the terrorist group, did not when the whole counts were read to them.
The two top leaders of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda affiliated network, were recently arraigned before Justice Nwite.
Usman and Abba, popularly called Mallam Mamuda, were arraigned on 32-count charge bordering on terrorism and others.
While Usman is the 1st defendant, Abba is the 2nd defendant in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025.
The charge is dated and filed on Sept. 4 by Mr Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
In count, Usman who hails from Okene Local Government Area (LGA) of Kogi and Abba from Daura LGA of Katsina State were alleged to have aided and abetted the acts of terrorism sometimes between 2013 and 2015.
They were accused of conspiring amongst themselves and agreeing to be part of the formation and top commanders of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (a.k.a. JAMBS/Ansaru, a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
In counts three and four, they were accused of receiving training in weapons handling and training on the fabrication of Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) from various terrorist camps.
In count five, they were accused of an act preparatory to acts of terrorism by receiving training on war tactics from Jama’atu Nusratil Islami Wal Muslimin, a.k.a. JNIM, a terrorist group in Mali.
In count seven, they were accused of contributing to the attack on Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Kainji, New-Bussa, Borgu LGA of Niger sometimes in 2022 resulting in mass causalities, among the 32 counts.
Following their not guilty plea, the judge had ordered them to be remanded at the DSS facility in Abuja, pending the conclusion of the trial.
