The Department of State Services (DSS) has intensified its crackdown on terrorism, announcing significant progress in the prosecution of several top terror suspects linked to some of Nigeria’s deadliest attacks. The agency said the move underscores its determination to ensure justice and safeguard national security through the rule of law.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, will on November 19 continue the trial of Mahmud Muhammad Usman (alias Abu Bara’a) and Abubakar Abba (alias Isah Adam/Mahmud Al-Nigeri) two internationally wanted terror leaders believed to be top commanders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate.
According to Favour Dozie, Deputy Director, Public Relations and Strategic Communications at the DSS, the suspects were apprehended in July during a high-risk, intelligence-led operation after several months of surveillance and pursuit.
Usman, described as the self-styled Emir of ANSARU, allegedly coordinated multiple terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and robberies to finance terror operations.
Abba, his deputy and Chief of Staff, reportedly headed the “Mahmudawa” cell, which operated around the Kainji National Park axis spanning Niger, Kwara, and parts of Benin Republic.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) earlier revealed that Usman underwent jihadist training in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The duo are standing trial on a 32-count terrorism charge, to which Usman pleaded guilty to one count of illegal mining and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, while Abba pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In a related development, the DSS is also prosecuting Khalid Al-Barnawi, the alleged mastermind of the August 26, 2011 bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja, which killed 20 people and injured over 70 others.
Al-Barnawi is being tried alongside four others Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (aka Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu (aka Bello Maishayi). Following years of procedural delays, Justice Nwite has granted an accelerated hearing, and videos of the defendants’ confessional statements were recently played in court during a trial-within-trial.
The DSS also confirmed that five men accused of the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, are currently on trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The suspects Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar are facing nine counts of terrorism, including membership of the Al-Shabab terrorist network operating in Kogi State.
They pleaded not guilty to all charges, but Justice Nwite refused their bail application, ruling that the offences were capital in nature and that the evidence presented against them was weighty and credible.
Similarly, the DSS said trials are ongoing for suspects arrested in connection with the June 13, 2025 Yelwata massacre in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, which left dozens dead and over 100 injured.
Nine suspects are currently before the Federal High Court, while two others Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi of Nasarawa State remain at large. The defendants face terrorism-related charges for their alleged involvement in both the massacre and subsequent reprisal attacks in Abinsi and Yelwata villages.
Commenting on the agency’s counterterrorism efforts, DSS Director General, Tosin Ajayi, said the prosecutions demonstrate the diligence and professionalism of Nigeria’s security institutions in bringing terrorists to justice.
“The various arrests and trials of terrorism suspects underscore the diligence of our security agencies in bringing perpetrators of terror to justice,” Ajayi stated.
“These cases are separate from the hundreds of suspects currently in military custody, whose prosecutions are being handled by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. In July last year alone, 125 terrorists were convicted. We will continue to ensure accountability and justice in defence of national peace and security.”
The DSS reaffirmed its commitment to upholding human rights while pursuing justice for victims of terrorism, assuring Nigerians that it will sustain its operations to dismantle terrorist networks and restore lasting peace across the country.
