The federal government will arraign two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated network, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.
The suspects, Mahmud Muhammed Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, popularly called Mahmud Al-Nigeri or Isah Adam/Mallam Mamuda, will appear before the court to face a 32-count charge bordering on terrorism.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025 and dated September 4, and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, M.B. Abubakar, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abu Bara’a, from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State. Mahmud Al-Nigeri, from Daura LGA of Katsina State, was accused of aiding and abetting terrorism between 2013 and 2015.
They were also alleged to have conspired to serve as top commanders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (JAMBS/Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants received training in weapons handling, fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and war tactics from Jama’atu Nusratil Islami Wal Muslimin (JNIM), a Mali-based terrorist group.
They were also accused of participating in the 2022 attack on Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in New-Bussa, Niger State, which resulted in mass casualties.
The two men were captured between May and July 2025 in intelligence-led operations by Nigeria’s security and intelligence services.
Their arrest was announced on August 16 by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who disclosed that both suspects had been on national and international terror watch lists.
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