The Federal Government will, on Thursday, arraign the two top leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated network, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The two commanders are Mahmud Muhammed Usman, aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, aka Isah Adam/Mahmud Al-Nigeri.
Abu Bara’a and Mahmud Al-Nigeri, popularly called Mallam Mamuda, will be arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite on a 32-count charge bordering on terrorism.
While Abu Bara’a is the first defendant, Mahmud Al-Nigeri is the second defendant in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025.
The charge was dated and filed on September 4 by M.B. Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
In count one, Abu Bara’a, who hails from Okene Local Government Area, LGA, of Kogi State, and Mahmud Al-Nigeri, from Daura LGA of Katsina State, were alleged to have aided and abetted acts of terrorism, sometime between 2013 and 2015.
The duo were accused of conspiring amongst themselves and agreeing to be part of the formation and top commanders of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (aka JAMBS/Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
“You thereby commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013 and punishable under the same Section of the Act,” the charge read in part.
Counts three and four accused the defendants of receiving training in weapons handling and in the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, from various terrorist camps.
Count five alleged that they committed an act preparatory to acts of terrorism by receiving training on war tactics from Jama’atu Nusratil Islami Wal Muslimin, aka JNIM, a terrorist group in Mali.
Also, count seven accused the suspects of contributing to the attack on Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Kainji, New-Bussa, Borgu LGA of Niger State, sometime in 2022, resulting in mass casualties.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Abu Bara’a and Mahmud Al-Nigeri were recently captured during a high-risk, intelligence-led operation conducted by Nigeria’s security and intelligence services between May and July 2025.
The National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, made the announcement on August 16 while briefing newsmen in Abuja.
Ribadu said the arrested men had been on both national and international terror watch lists.
The Ansaru terrorist group was alleged to be responsible for a string of high-profile attacks and kidnappings across the country.
