Ansaru Commanders on Trial for Terrorism in Abuja Court

In a federal high court in Abuja, two suspected commanders of the Ansaru terror group, Mahmoud Muham Usman and Abubakar Abba, are facing trial for alleged terrorism. A witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) testified that the suspects confessed to receiving weapons training in Libya, where foreign instructors taught them to manufacture improvised explosive devices.

The court heard that Usman was arrested following intelligence gathering that identified him as a leader within the Ansaru group. Abba was apprehended during an operation in Kaduna State.

The suspects admitted to being members of Ansaru, which is described as a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, and acknowledged their involvement in various criminal activities, including attacks on the Nigerian army and kidnappings. The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, ordered a trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of the defendants' confessions, which the defense claims were obtained without legal representation.

The case has been adjourned to April 13, 2026.