The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of two suspected leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, to January 15, 2026, after their lawyer requested more time to access and study the charges and evidence.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, adjourned the sitting on Wednesday following a plea by defence counsel B. I. Bakum, who informed the court that the charge documents were still in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), where the defendants are being detained by court order.
Bakum also asked the court to transfer the suspects to a correctional centre to allow easier access and ensure a smooth trial.
However, DSS counsel, David Kaswe, an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, opposed the request. He argued that the prosecution was ready to proceed, noting that witnesses were already in court.
Kaswe insisted that the defence counsel had failed to comply with DSS protocol, which requires lawyers to write formally to the agency and copy the prosecution before having access to the detainees.
