The proceedings, which lasted over four hours, were held amid tight security around the court.
The Nigerian government on Thursday arraigned two top leaders of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, on terrorism-related charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
One of the suspected terrorists immediately pleaded guilty to illegal mining charge, and was pronounced guilty by the court.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
The defendants - Mahmud Muhammed Usman (a.k.a. Abu Bara'a/Abbas Mukhtar) and Abubakar Abba (a.k.a. Isah Adam/Mahmud Al-Nigeri) - were arraigned before judge Emeka Nwite on 32 counts of terrorism.
The proceedings, which lasted over four hours, were held amid tight security around the court.
One of the defendants, Mr Usman, pleaded guilty to Count 10, which accused him of mining precious minerals without lawful authority. The offence is said to be contrary to section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004, and punishable under the same section.
The court convicted Mr Usman on the illegal mining charge and convicted him.
However, Mr Usman pleaded not guilty to the remaining 31 counts, while Mr Abba pleaded not guilty to all 32 counts.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, M.B. Abubakar, urged the court to order their continued detention in the State Security Service (SSS) custody, citing national security concerns.
But the defence counsel argued that such a request violated Section 299 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, insisting that the defendants should be remanded in prison for the duration of the trial.
Tight security
As early as 8:06 a.m. on Thursday, amid heavy rainfall, operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) armed with rifles, had taken positions at the entrances of the Federal High Court on the Shehu Shagari Expressway, in the Central Business District, Abuja.
When the suspects were brought to the courtroom at about 9:09 a.m., journalists were barred from entering the court premises.
SSS operatives stopped broadcast journalists from mounting their cameras to capture the unfolding scenes. The security agents insisted that no recording devices would be allowed.
Eventually, a few broadcast journalists were allowed into the court, while the operatives stood guard at the entrance with their weapons, preventing others from gaining entry.
The defendants were captured alive following a high-risk, intelligence-led, multi-agency operation conducted between May and July 2025. National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu announced the high-profile arrest in mid-August.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The federal government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, filed the charges on 4 September, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
One of the counts accused Mr Usman, from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, and Mr Abba, from Daura LGA of Katsina State, of aiding and abetting terrorism between 2013 and 2015.
They were also accused of conspiring and agreeing to be part of the formation and leadership of Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
