The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned five suspected members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru) terrorist group before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State and the killing of two teachers.
The defendants are Mahmud Muhammad (also known as Abu Bara’a/Abbas Mukhtar), Abubakar Abbas (alias Isah Adam/Mahmuda Al-Nigeri), Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa), and Shamsu Sani (aka Abu Itisar).
According to the DSS, Muhammad and Abbas, identified as Ansaru commanders, allegedly directed Umar, Musa, and Sani to carry out kidnappings and killings across the country if they were ever arrested, with the aim of forcing the government to meet the group’s demands.
The prosecution further alleged that the May 15 abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, which resulted in the murder of two teachers, was carried out in execution of those directives.
The five defendants are facing multiple terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy, aiding terrorist activities, kidnapping, murder, and concealing information about the crimes without reporting them to security agencies.
Umar, Musa, and Sani were recently sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to offences linked to the same abduction. However, following concerns reportedly raised by the DSS over the outcome, the agency filed fresh charges against the trio alongside the two alleged Ansaru commanders.
All five defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read before Justice Salim Ibrahim.
Following their pleas, prosecuting counsel Caliatus Eze requested that the suspects be remanded in the protective custody of the DSS pending trial. The court granted the request but ordered that the defendants be given unrestricted access to their lawyers, two immediate family members, and adequate medical care.
Justice Ibrahim adjourned the case until September 25 for the commencement of trial.
In a separate case before the same court, another terror suspect, Samaila Kaigama, was arraigned on charges of allegedly financing the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram.
The DSS accused Kaigama of knowingly soliciting, collecting, and transferring funds to support the two terrorist groups, as well as providing financial and material assistance for their operations.
Kaigama pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.
The court ordered that he be remanded in DSS custody until September 24, while directing that he be granted unrestricted access to his lawyer, wife, and uncle pending further proceedings.
Comments