The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 15, 2026, for the commencement of the trial of two alleged leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba.

The trial was earlier slated to begin on Wednesday, but Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the proceedings following a plea by defence counsel, B. I. Bakum, who told the court he was yet to be served with the charges and proof of evidence held by the Department of State Services (DSS), where the defendants are currently detained.

Bakum also urged the court to order the transfer of his clients to a correctional centre to facilitate easier access ahead of trial.

However, DSS counsel, David Kaswe, an Assistant Director at the Federal Ministry of Justice, opposed the request, insisting the trial should proceed since prosecution witnesses were already in court.

He explained that the DSS requires formal written requests before counsel can access detainees, adding that the defence had not fulfilled this requirement.

Kaswe asked the court to compel the defence lawyer to comply with DSS protocol and copy the prosecution in all correspondence to ensure smooth proceedings.

In a brief ruling, Justice Nwite held that a fair hearing demanded that the defendants’ counsel be given adequate time to study the case file. He then shifted the trial to January 15, 2026, ordering the defence to formally write the DSS for access and copy the prosecution on all future letters.

Usman and Abba are facing a 32-count terrorism charge brought by the DSS. Usman has pleaded guilty to Count 10, which relates to economic crimes, but denied the remaining 31 counts. Abba pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In September, Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting that he engaged in illegal mining and used the proceeds to acquire weapons for terrorism and kidnapping.

The defendants are accused of committing various terrorism-related offences between 2015 and 2024, including bombing the Wawa Military

Cantonment in Niger State, receiving weapons training, fabricating IEDs, kidnapping security operatives, engaging in terrorism financing, and belonging to foreign terror networks.

They were also alleged to have engaged in illegal mining, earning millions of naira used to procure arms and ammunition, including improvised explosive devices. The DSS claims they received training in Sudan and Mali, and also trained their followers.

Both suspects were apprehended in intelligence-led operations between May and July 2025.

Justice Nwite had earlier ordered their remand at the DSS facility pending trial.

Ansaru, a splinter faction of Boko Haram, has been linked to several high-profile attacks and kidnappings across Nigeria.