A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 19 for the continuation of the trial of Ansaru leaders, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, charged with terrorism.

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter on Tuesday over the absence of the counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a letter to the court, the lawyer apologised and requested for a new date.

The judge had at the last hearing on September 11 sentenced one of the defendants, Mahmud Usman, to 15 years’ imprisonment for illegal mining.

Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, who was arraigned by the DSS after his recent arrest, pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal mining activities for arms acquisition and kidnapping.

Usman, who hails from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, was arrested alongside Abubakar Abba, alias Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri from Daura, Katsina State, were arraigned on 32 charges bordering on terrorism.

Following the plea of guilty to count 10, which is on illegal mining, the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, convicted and sentenced him on the count and ordered his remand in DSS custody pending his trial for 31 other charges preferred against him by the service.

In the charges, the defendants were alleged to have committed acts of terrorism in 2022 by attacking Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Kainji, New Bussa, in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, which led to several deaths.

They are also alleged to have received training in weapons handling and fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from various terrorist camps, including training in war tactics from a terrorist organisation in Mali.

Following the sentencing, Justice Nwite fixed October 21 for trial.

The DSS accused the commanders of masterminding the attack on the Nigerian Correctional Service Centre in Kuje, FCT, in July 2022, which freed more than 600 inmates.

They also allegedly planned the Niger uranium facility attack and multiple kidnappings, including that of French engineer, Francis Collomp, in 2013.

Apart from that, they also committed other alleged crimes, including the 2019 abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, and several armed robberies.

Recently, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed their arrest.

According to him, this followed coordinated security operations. (Daily Trust)