A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, ruled that the trial of two leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, will begin on 15 January 2026.
The trial, which was initially slated to begin yesterday, was postponed by the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, following a plea by counsel to the accused persons for time to enable them to be served with the charges and to review the proof of evidence.
At yesterday’s proceedings, the lawyer to the accused persons, B.I. Bakum, informed the court that the charge and proof of evidence were still with the Department of State Services (DSS), where the terror suspects were being detained on the court’s orders.
The counsel prayed the court that the two defendants be moved to a correctional centre to enable easy access and ensure a prompt and hitch-free trial.
The lawyer to the DSS, David Kaswe, an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, opposed the defendants’ lawyer’s prayer.
Kasawe prayed the court to begin the trial as scheduled since, according to him, the witnesses were in court.
He argued that protocol in the DSS required the defendant’s lawyer to write to the agency seeking permission to see his clients and copy him, adding that the lawyer had failed to do so.
Justice Nwite, in a brief ruling, said he would, in the interest of fair hearing, consider the submission of the defendants’ lawyer and adjourn the trial to a future date.
In shifting the trial to 15 January 2026, the judge ordered the defendants’ lawyer to always write DSS for permission to visit his clients and to copy the prosecutor.
Usman and Abubakar Abba are being prosecuted for terrorism by the DSS. However, Usman has pleaded guilty to Count 10 in the 32-count charge, which bordered on economic crime.
While Abubakar Abba pleaded not guilty to the 32-count charge, Usman denied the remaining 31 counts.
