DSS Tells Court How Ansaru Suspects Received W£apons, I£Ds Training In Libyan Camp
DSS Tells Court How Ansaru Suspects Received Weapons, IEDs Training In Libyan Camp
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel David Kaswe, the operative told the court that “foreign instructors in Libya taught them how to manufacture and use improved explosive devices (IEDs).”
Two suspected commanders of the terror group Ansaru received weapons and explosives training in Libya, a Department of State Services (DSS) operative told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
The officer said the suspects confessed to travelling abroad to learn how to handle weapons and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) under the supervision of foreign instructors.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel David Kaswe, the operative told the court that “foreign instructors in Libya taught them how to manufacture and use improved explosive devices (IEDs).”
He added that the suspects admitted instructors from Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria “taught them all they knew about weapons and IEDs while they were camped in Libya.”
The DSS witness further explained that the first defendant, Mahmoud Muhammed Usman, was arrested following prolonged intelligence gathering which identified him as the leader of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru).
He said the second defendant, Abubakar Abba, was arrested by DSS operatives at Ugwan Musa Bypass in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The officer told the court that the suspects admitted to being members of Ansaru, which he described as “a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, allegedly involved in terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and illegal mining across the North-West, North-Central, South-West and in Edo and Delta states.”
He said the defendants also confessed to founding the Ansaru group in Jigawa State after holding several meetings in 2012.
The witness added that the second defendant admitted “participating in an attack on a Nigerian Army formation in Wawa in 2020, which allegedly resulted in the death of several soldiers.”
He also told the court the suspects confessed to kidnapping the in-law of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, as well as an immigration officer and a customs officer.
According to the operative, the second defendant also admitted “having sworn allegiance to the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which allegedly supplied the group with arms and ammunition.”
Attempts by defence counsel Bala Dakum to block the admissibility of the confessional statements were opposed by the prosecution, which insisted the statements were obtained without coercion and in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
In a brief ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered a trial-within-trial to determine the admissibility of the defendants’ statements.
The case has been adjourned to April 13, 2026, for the commencement of the trial-within-trial.
