The Department of State Services (DSS) has provided updates on several ongoing terrorism prosecutions, including high-profile cases involving alleged leaders of extremist groups operating within and outside Nigeria.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, is set to continue the trial of two terrorism suspects — Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Abubakar Abba — on November 19. The pair, described as internationally wanted figures, were arrested in a DSS-led counterterrorism operation in July after months of surveillance.
According to the agency, the two men are believed to be top commanders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist network in Nigeria. Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, was allegedly the self-proclaimed “Emir” of ANSARU and is accused of coordinating sleeper cells and financing terrorism through ransom and robbery operations. Abba, said to be his deputy and chief of staff, reportedly led a faction known as the “Mahmudawa cell,” operating around Kainji National Park, bordering Niger, Kwara, and Benin Republic.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) earlier stated that Usman received training in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under North African jihadist instructors. He allegedly specialised in handling weapons and making improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The two suspects are facing a 32-count terrorism charge, including one relating to illegal mining. Usman pleaded guilty to that count and was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, while Abba pleaded not guilty to all counts.
The DSS is also prosecuting Khalid Al-Barnawi, accused of masterminding the 2011 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Abuja, which killed 20 people and injured more than 70. Arrested in 2016, Al-Barnawi is facing trial alongside four others — Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (aka Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu (aka Bello Maishayi).
The case, delayed for years by procedural challenges, recently resumed after Justice Nwite granted the DSS’s request for an accelerated hearing. During the last session in October, video recordings of the defendants’ confessional statements were played in court.
In another ongoing case, five men — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — are on trial for their alleged roles in the June 5, 2022, Owo Catholic Church attack in Ondo State, which claimed over 40 lives and left more than 100 injured.
The suspects, accused of belonging to an Al-Shabab-linked terrorist cell operating in Kogi State, pleaded not guilty to a nine-count charge. Justice Nwite denied them bail, citing the severity of the allegations and the risk of absconding.
The DSS also disclosed progress in cases related to the June 13, 2025, Yelwata massacre in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where dozens were killed and 107 others injured. The attack prompted President Bola Tinubu to visit the state and demand swift justice.
Following the arrest of 26 suspects, the DSS filed terrorism charges against nine individuals, including Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi, who remain at large. Others standing trial are Musa Beniyon, Bako Malowa, Ibrahim Tunga, Asara Ahnadu, Legu Musa, Adamu Yale, Boddi Ayuba, and Pyeure Damina.
Two more suspects, Terkende Ashuwa and Amos Alede, are also being tried for allegedly carrying out a reprisal attack linked to the Yelwata violence.
Speaking on the series of prosecutions, DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi said the ongoing trials demonstrate the agency’s commitment to upholding justice and combating terrorism within the framework of the law.
“The arrests and prosecutions show our diligence in ensuring that those who disrupt the peace of our nation are held accountable,” Ajayi stated. “These suspects are separate from the hundreds under military custody whose cases are being handled by the Attorney General’s office. In July last year alone, 125 terrorists were convicted.”
He reaffirmed the DSS’s resolve to pursue all terror-related cases to conclusion in accordance with due process.
