The arraignemnt of the five convicts on terrorism charges came after the SSS expressed dissatisfaction with the life sentences earlier imposed on them in two separate terrorism cases.
The State Security Service (SSS) on Wednesday arraigned five terrorism convicts recently jailed for life on fresh charges.
The five men were arraigned before Judge Salim Ibrahim on pre-existiing charges and four fresh ones covering the impact of their alleged terror activities nationwide.
This came after the SSS expressed dissatisfaction with the life sentence earlier imposed on each of the five defendants in two separate terrorism cases.
The two convicts among the defendants are Mahmud Usman Muhammad (also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar),and Abubakar Abbas (also known as Isah Adam, Mahmud al-Nigeri and Malam Mamuda). The SSS said Mr Muhammad was a self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, while Mr Abbas described himself as the group’s deputy and chief of staff.
The remaining defendants are Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (also known as Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (also known as Abu Itisar).
The three men were to proceed to full trial on the four remaining charges before the prosecution re-filed an amended version of the indictment on Wednesday, adding six counts and bringing in the two jailed Ansaru leaders as co-defendants.
In the meantime, the agency raised the existing charges pending against three of the convicts linked to the Oyo State abduction to 10 to broaden the scope of their alleged offences bring in the jailed Ansaru leaders on board. The indictment was signed by the agency’s lawyer, M.E. Ernest.
Calistus Eze, who appeared for the prosecution on Wednesday, informed the judge that the prosecution filed amended charges on 29 July (today, Wednesday).
The charges were then read to all five defendants, all of whom pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution then asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendants in SSS custody.
Although the defence opposed the request, Judge Ibrahim dismissed the objection and ordered that the defendants remain in SSS custody.
The judge, however, directed that the defendants should have unrestricted access to their lawyer and two family members before adjourning the case until 25 September for trial.
In the first count, the SSS alleged that Messrs Muhammad and Abbas, between 2025 and 2026, instructed members of the Jama’atu Ansaru Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru) terrorist group, including the three co-defendants, to kidnap and kill victims across the country if they were arrested by the government.
The agency alleged that the group’s members acted on those instructions when they abducted about 46 pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on 15 May.
The offence is said to contravene Section 24 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and is punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the Act.
In the second count, the SSS alleged that the two Ansaru commanders caused the deaths of two teachers, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, after the abduction.
The charge said the offence contravenes Section 2(3)(g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and is punishable under Section 24(2) of the same law.
The third count accused all five defendants of concealing information about an impending terrorist attack by the Ansaru group despite allegedly knowing that the information could have helped law enforcement agencies prevent the abduction of about 46 victims and the killing of the two teachers.
The prosecution said the alleged offence is contrary to Section 16(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In another count, the SSS alleged that Messrs Umar, Musa and Sani conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed, Ibrahim Khabab, Messrs Muhammad and Abbas, and others still at large to carry out the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the SSS first arraigned the two Ansaru commanders, Mahmud Usman Muhammad and Abubakar Abbas, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on 11 September 2025 on 32 charges of terrorism, terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other related offences.
The SSS alleged that the two men coordinated sleeper cells across Nigeria, maintained links with Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions, and played key roles in several terrorist attacks and kidnappings.
At their arraignment, Mr Muhammad admitted one count relating to illegal mining allegedly used to finance terrorism. Judge Emeka Nwite convicted him on that count and sentenced him to 15 years’ imprisonment. He pleaded not guilty to the remaining counts, while Mr Abbas denied all 32 charges.
The trial later opened with testimony from an SSS operative, identified only as “Triple A”, who told the court that both defendants confessed to receiving weapons and explosives training in Libya and admitted belonging to Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-linked group that broke away from Boko Haram. The witness also linked them to kidnappings, illegal mining and other terrorist activities across several parts of Nigeria.
However, the proceedings took a dramatic turn in July when Mr Abbas asked the court for time to reconsider his not-guilty plea. Judge Nwite granted the request and adjourned the case until 20 July to enable him make a final decision.
On 20 July, both defendants abandoned their earlier position and pleaded guilty to the charges. Judge Nwite sentenced them to life imprisonment on the terrorism counts and imposed additional prison terms on the remaining counts, all to run concurrently from the date of their arrest.
Shortly after the judgment, the SSS announced that it would appeal the sentence, arguing that life imprisonment did not reflect the gravity of the offences.
The agency said investigators found it significant that the two commanders decided to plead guilty only after security forces rescued pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
According to the SSS, the abductors had demanded the release of the two Ansaru commanders in exchange for the victims and later beheaded two teachers to pressure the government.
