By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA–The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, deferred the trial of the detained commander of the Ansaru terrorist sect, Mahmud Usman, till November 19.
Ansaru, a breakaway faction of the Boko Haram terrorist group, was linked to several high-profile attacks and kidnappings across the country.
Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, is answering to a 32-count charge the Federal Government preferred against him and his alleged deputy, Abubakar Abba, popularly called Mahmud Al-Nigeri or Isah Adam/Mallam Mamuda.
FG alleged that the defendants, captured between May and July 2025 after intelligence-led operations by security agencies, masterminded various acts of terrorism.
They were said to have collected ransom running into millions of naira from families of their victims.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025, FG alleged that Usman who is from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, and one Mahmud Al-Nigeri from Daura LGA of Katsina State, aided and abetted terrorist attacks that occurred in the country between 2013 and 2015.
It told the court that the defendants conspired and agreed to serve as top commanders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (JAMBS/Ansaru), a proscribed organisation in Nigeria that has links with the Al Qaeda terrorist network.
The defendants were further accused of receiving training in weapons handling, fabrication of Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs), and war tactics from Jama’atu Nusratil Islami Wal Muslimin (JNIM), a Mali-based terrorist group.
More so, FG alleged that they participated in the 2022 attack on Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in New-Bussa, Niger State, which resulted in mass casualties.
Usman was described as the “coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund terrorism. ”
Arrest of the defendants was announced on August 16 by the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, who disclosed that they had been on national and international terror watch lists.
When the case came up on Tuesday, the court took cognizance of a letter the counsel representing the Department of State Services, DSS, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, wrote to explain his unavailability for the trial.
Abubakar applied for the case to be adjourned to another date, a request that was not opposed by the defendants.
Consequently, Justice Emeka Nwite deferred further proceedings on the matter till November.
It will be recalled that Usman was on September 11, sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count in the charge against them.
Usman admitted before the court that he engaged in illegal mining activities and used the proceeds to acquire arms that aided his terrorism and kidnapping activities.
He, however, denied other allegations that FG levelled against him in the charge before the court.
On part, the 2nd defendant, Abba, pleaded not guilty to the entire charge.
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