The Department of State Services (DSS) is expected to re-arraign five suspected members of the Ansaru terrorist group before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, September 17, over their alleged involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The defendants are also accused by the Federal Government of involvement in the subsequent killing of two of the victims following the May 15, 2026 abduction.
They are facing a six-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, on behalf of the Federal Government.
The five defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, also known as Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
The Federal Government alleges that the men are members of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as Ansaru.
Their re-arraignment was initially scheduled for Wednesday but could not proceed after the first defendant, Mahmud Muhammad, objected to being represented by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.
A Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Council, Akilaluyel Shettima, had announced his appearance for the five defendants before Justice Salim Ibrahim.
Muhammad, speaking on behalf of the other defendants, told the court that they had previously been represented by Bala Dakum and wanted him to continue as their lawyer.
“We had been represented by Bala Dakum as our lawyer before, and we would want him to continue to defend us.”
Oyedepo acknowledged that the defendants’ right to choose their counsel was a constitutional matter that should be respected.
The prosecution also told the court that the DSS was a law-abiding institution and was not interested in persecuting the defendants but in ensuring that justice was done.
Following the submissions, Justice Ibrahim adjourned the matter until Thursday, September 17, for the defendants to be re-arraigned.
The judge directed the accused persons to contact Dakum and ensure that he was present in court. He also ordered the DSS to grant the defendants access to their lawyer so they could adequately prepare their defence.
The case relates to the May 15 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire LGA, an incident that prompted a major security response in Oyo State. The Federal Government alleges that the five defendants played roles connected to the operation and the subsequent killing of two victims.
The defendants had previously been arraigned on terrorism-related charges and pleaded not guilty. The amended case now before the Federal High Court forms part of the prosecution’s continuing proceedings against them.
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