DSS Confirms Ongoing Trials of High-Profile Terrorism Suspects Nationwide

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday announced that several high-profile terrorism suspects are currently facing prosecution across the country as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen national security and ensure accountability.

In a statement released on its official channels, the secret police disclosed that five men are presently standing trial over the June 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which claimed over 40 lives and left many others injured.

It also revealed that several suspects are facing terrorism charges in connection with the June 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue State, where dozens of people were killed and more than a hundred injured.

DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, stated that the agency’s ongoing prosecutions underscore the federal government’s commitment to bringing terrorists and their financiers to justice in accordance with the rule of law.

Trials of ANSARU Leaders Set to Continue November 19

According to the DSS, the Federal High Court in Abuja will on November 19 continue the trial of Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Abubakar Abba, two internationally wanted terror suspects believed to be leaders of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), an Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group in Nigeria.

The pair were arrested in July 2025 during a high-risk, intelligence-led counterterrorism operation.
Usman, who styles himself as the “Emir of ANSARU,” allegedly coordinated several terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded multiple kidnappings and robberies used to finance terror activities.
His deputy, Abba, is accused of leading the “Mahmudawa cell” operating around Kainji National Park on the Niger–Kwara–Benin border.

Both are facing a 32-count terrorism charge, including terrorism financing and illegal mining.
Usman has already been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count related to illegal mining, while Abba has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The DSS noted that Usman received weapons and explosives training in Libya between 2013 and 2015, under jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.

UN Building Bomber, Owo Attack Suspects Also Facing Trial

The Service also confirmed the ongoing trial of Khalid Al-Barnawi, alleged mastermind of the 2011 United Nations Building bombing in Abuja, which killed 20 people and injured over 70 others.
Captured in 2016, Al-Barnawi is being tried alongside four co-defendants: Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (aka Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu (aka Bello Maishayi).

The trial, delayed by procedural issues, recently resumed before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who has granted a request for accelerated hearing after the DSS presented video evidence of confessional statements.

Similarly, five suspects — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — are facing trial for their alleged involvement in the June 5, 2022 Owo church attack.
They were arraigned on a nine-count terrorism charge (FHC/ABJ/CR/301/2025) and accused of being members of the Al Shabab terrorist cell in Kogi State.
Justice Nwite denied them bail, citing the gravity of the charges and the strength of the evidence presented by the DSS.

Trials Linked to Yelwata Massacre in Benue Ongoing

The DSS also confirmed the ongoing prosecution of suspects arrested over the June 13, 2025, Yelwata massacre in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, which left dozens dead and over 100 injured.
In August, the DSS filed multiple terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court against nine suspects, while two others — Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi — remain at large.

The agency said six separate cases have been instituted, including those involving reprisal attacks allegedly carried out by Terkende Ashuwa and Amos Alede, both of whom have pleaded not guilty.

Over 125 Terror Convictions Recorded Since Last Year

Director-General Ajayi noted that over 125 convicted terrorists have been sentenced across various courts since last year, with many other cases still pending.

“These prosecutions demonstrate our resolve to ensure that perpetrators of terror are made accountable in accordance with the rule of law,” Ajayi said.
“Our agency, alongside other security institutions, remains steadfast in ensuring peace and justice across Nigeria.”