DSS operative tells court Ansaru suspects received weapons and explosives training in Libya under foreign instructors.
An operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that two alleged commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group currently standing trial had confessed to receiving weapons training in Libya.
Testifying before the court, the DSS operative said the defendants admitted during interrogation that they travelled to Libya where they underwent training in the handling of weapons and the production of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, David Kaswe, the witness disclosed that the suspects also confessed that foreign instructors from Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria trained them during their stay in a Libyan camp.
According to him, the instructors taught them how to manufacture and deploy IEDs as well as handle various weapons.
The witness further told the court that the first defendant, Mahmoud Muhammed Usman, was apprehended following sustained intelligence operations that identified him as a leader of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, also known as Ansaru.
He added that the second defendant, Abubakar Abba, was arrested by DSS operatives at Ugwan Musa Bypass in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to the witness, both suspects admitted being members of Ansaru, which he described as a breakaway faction of Boko Haram allegedly involved in acts of terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and illegal mining across several parts of the country, including the North-West, North-Central, South-West, as well as Edo and Delta states.
The DSS operative also told the court that the defendants confessed to establishing the Ansaru network in Jigawa State after a series of meetings held in 2012.
He further testified that the second defendant admitted participating in an attack on a Nigerian Army formation in Wawa in 2020, an incident that allegedly resulted in the death of several soldiers.
The witness added that the defendants also confessed to their involvement in the kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, an in-law to former President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as an immigration officer and a customs officer.
According to the DSS officer, the second defendant further admitted pledging allegiance to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which he said allegedly supplied the group with arms and ammunition.
During the proceedings, counsel to the defendants, Bala Dakum, attempted to challenge the admissibility of the defendants’ confessional statements.
However, the prosecution opposed the move, insisting that the statements were obtained voluntarily and in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
The prosecution further maintained that the statements were taken in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council and were not obtained under duress.
In a brief ruling, the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, ordered a trial-within-trial to determine the admissibility of the confessional statements.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until April 13, 2026, for the commencement of the trial-within-trial.
