Ansaru Terrorism Trial Stalls as Defence Lawyer Denied Access to Suspects

The trial of two alleged senior members of Ansaru, a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda, was stalled on Thursday at the Federal High Court in Abuja following complaints by defence counsel that he was denied access to his clients in detention.

The matter could not proceed after the defence lawyer, Bala Dakum, informed the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, that the Department of State Services (DSS) had prevented him from meeting the defendants, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba.

The two men were arrested by Nigerian security agencies in August 2025 and are standing trial on 32 terrorism-related charges, including allegations of illegal mining activities and violent attacks allegedly carried out between 2013 and 2015. They were arraigned in September 2025.

At the time of arraignment, Usman pleaded guilty to one of the counts and was subsequently sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, while his co-defendant, Abba, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Addressing the court on Thursday, Dakum said the case could not proceed because he had not been granted access to the defendants since assuming responsibility for the matter in October 2025.

He told the court that the defendants were unfamiliar to him and that his preparation was limited to reviewing the charge sheet. He therefore urged the court to order their transfer to a correctional facility to enable him to have proper access.

“If they want us to proceed, I just have to have access to them or they should be taken to any of the prison facilities,” he said.

The prosecution counsel, David Kaswe, told the court that he was ready to call his first witness but explained that access to detainees at the DSS headquarters was restricted due to an ongoing renovation of the facility.

According to him, the upgrade was aimed at meeting global best practices, adding that access to detainees would remain limited until the work was completed. He apologised to the court and requested an adjournment.

Justice Nwite, however, expressed displeasure over the delay, noting that the case had been fixed for trial and that he had rearranged other engagements to preside over it.

“It is as if all the efforts I am making are going nowhere. I should be resting by now because during the period of Christmas and New Year celebrations, I was here,” the judge said.

When asked about the timeline for the completion of the renovation, a DSS officer informed the court that the work might be concluded by March or April, but could not give a definite date.

Kaswe later told the court that the prosecution would not oppose the transfer of the defendants to a correctional centre if their lawyers were still unable to access them before the next adjourned date.

Dakum also insisted that the defendants should be granted access to their lawyer and family members, noting that Usman has 19 children.

Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the case until March 16 for the commencement of trial.