The Department of State Services, DSS, is to formally arraign the captured Ansaru terror commanders, Mahmud Mohammed Usman and Abubakar Abba, today at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The security agency is to put the dreaded alleged terrorists on trial on 32-count terrorism charges bordering on belonging to foreign terror groups, terrorism financing, kidnapping, and economic crimes.
A copy of the charge sheet sighted by DAILY POST, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/461/2025, was signed by Muhammed Babadoko Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF).
It was endorsed by the DPPF on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF).
The two accused persons, alleged to have committed the heinous crimes, are from Okene in Kogi State and Daura in Katsina State, and committed the alleged offences between 2015 and 2024 before being captured.
Prominent among the charges against them are the kidnapping of about seven traditional rulers and five community leaders in various towns of Niger State.
In one of the charges, DSS accused them of kidnapping a Customs and another Immigration officer in their communities, also in Niger State.
The secret police claimed that the accused persons collected ransom running into millions of naira from families of their victims before the long arm of the DSS captured them.
Similarly, they were accused of engaging in unlawful mining of mineral resources without valid licenses, from which they also made millions of naira.
One of the charges by DSS against the two defendants is that the huge sums made from kidnapping ransom and unlawful mineral mining were deployed for the procurement of huge arms and ammunition, including improvised explosive devices.
The DSS further alleged that the two men received training on terrorism and war tactics in Sudan and Mali and also facilitated the same for their followers.
In another charge, they were accused of concealing information on terror attacks on various locations in Niger State.
The two terror commanders were apprehended in a recent operation by a joint security team in a forest location.
Their capture has been applauded as a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against insurgency and terrorism in the country.
They are to be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja today [Thursday].
