The State Security Service (SSS) on Wednesday brought five men to court on new terrorism charges. These men had recently received life sentences for their roles in a kidnapping incident.
The group includes two Ansaru commanders and three others found guilty in connection with a school abduction in Oyo State last May, which resulted in the deaths of two victims.
The five were in front of Judge Salim Ibrahim to face new charges alongside existing ones. These charges relate to their alleged terrorist activities across Nigeria.
This action follows the SSS’s disappointment with the life sentences given to the five defendants in two earlier terrorism cases.
The two Ansaru leaders are Mahmud Usman Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar, and Abubakar Abbas, also called Isah Adam, Mahmud al-Nigeri and Malam Mamuda. The SSS claims Mr. Muhammad referred to himself as the Emir of Ansaru, while Mr. Abbas identified himself as the deputy and chief of staff.
The other defendants are Abdulrazak Umar, known as Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid, Yunusa Musa, called Yunusa bin Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani, known as Abu Itisar.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, Judge Emeka Nwite sentenced Muhammad and Abbas to life imprisonment on July 20 after they pleaded guilty to 32 charges brought by the SSS.
Three days later, Judge Ibrahim sentenced Umar, Musa, and Sani to life imprisonment after they admitted guilt on six out of ten terrorism charges. These included their involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, in May.
The three men were set to go to trial on the remaining charges when the prosecution submitted an updated indictment on Wednesday. This new indictment includes six additional counts and names the two jailed Ansaru leaders as co-defendants.
After the court's verdict, the SSS rejected the life sentences, stating they did not match the seriousness of the crimes. The agency plans to appeal the decision and seek the death penalty.
Meanwhile, the SSS increased the charges against three of the convicts involved in the Oyo abduction to ten. This was done to expand the scope of their alleged crimes and include the jailed Ansaru leaders. The new indictment was signed by the agency’s lawyer, M.E. Ernest.
Wednesday’s court session
On Wednesday, Calistus Eze, who represented the prosecution, informed the judge that they filed amended charges on July 29.
The new charges were read to the five defendants, who all pleaded not guilty. The prosecution requested a trial date and asked that the defendants remain in SSS custody.
Though the defense contested this request, Judge Ibrahim overruled it and ordered that the defendants stay in SSS custody. The judge did allow the defendants access to their lawyer and two family members before adjourning the case until September 25 for trial.
New allegations
In the first count, the SSS accused Muhammad and Abbas of instructing Ansaru members, including the three co-defendants, to kidnap and kill victims across Nigeria if they were captured by the government between 2025 and 2026.
The agency claims these members acted on those orders during the abduction of about 46 pupils and teachers from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15.
This offense allegedly violates Section 24 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and is punishable under Section 24(2)(b) of the Act.
In the second count, the SSS claimed that the two Ansaru leaders caused the deaths of two teachers, Michael Oyedokun and Deacon John Olaleye, after the abduction.
This charge is said to violate Section 2(3)(g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and is punishable under Section 24(2) of the same law.
The third count alleges that all five defendants hid information about an upcoming terrorist attack by the Ansaru group, even though they knew this information could help prevent the abduction of the 46 victims and the killings of the two teachers.
This alleged offense is contrary to Section 16(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Another count accuses Umar, Musa, and Sani of conspiring with others to carry out the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
Background
According to PREMIUM TIMES, the SSS first tried the two Ansaru commanders, Mahmud Usman Muhammad and Abubakar Abbas, in Abuja on September 11, 2025. They faced 32 charges, including terrorism, financing terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, and explosives-related offenses.
The SSS claimed the two men ran sleeper cells across Nigeria and maintained connections with Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups in the Sahel and Maghreb. They played significant roles in various terror attacks and kidnappings.
During their arraignment, Mr. Muhammad admitted to one charge involving illegal mining that allegedly financed terrorism. Judge Emeka Nwite sentenced him to 15 years for that charge. He pleaded not guilty to the other charges, while Mr. Abbas denied all 32 charges.
The trial featured testimony from an SSS operative, known as “Triple A.” The operative said both defendants confessed to receiving weapons and explosives training in Libya and admitted to belonging to Ansaru, a group that split from Boko Haram. The witness also tied them to kidnappings and illegal mining across Nigeria.
In July, Mr. Abbas asked for time to reconsider his not-guilty plea. Judge Nwite granted the request and postponed the case until July 20 for him to make a final decision.
On July 20, both defendants changed their plea to guilty. Judge Nwite sentenced them to life imprisonment on the terrorism charges and gave additional prison terms on the other counts, all to run concurrently from their arrest date.
After the judgment, the SSS announced plans to appeal, saying the life sentence did not reflect the seriousness of their crimes.
The agency noted it was significant that the two commanders pleaded guilty only after security forces rescued the pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oriire.
The SSS stated that the kidnappers demanded the release of the two Ansaru leaders in exchange for the victims and later murdered two teachers to pressure the government.
They argued these circumstances justified a harsher punishment.
Three days later, on July 23, Judge Salim Ibrahim sentenced Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa, and Shamsu Adamu Sani to life imprisonment after they admitted to terrorism charges linked to the Oriire school abduction. Like the earlier ruling, the SSS rejected the sentence and vowed to appeal.
Wednesday’s fresh arraignment is a significant move by the SSS. The agency is now bringing together the two Ansaru leaders and the three men convicted for their roles in the school abduction and the deaths of two teachers.
Oyo school kidnapping and release
On May 15, terrorists attacked three schools in Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, taking 39 pupils and seven teachers.
The SSS said one teacher was killed during the attack. Michael Oyedokun was later beheaded while in captivity. The Federal Government announced that another teacher, Deacon John Olaleye, also died, bringing the total number of teachers killed to two.
The SSS stated that the kidnappers demanded the release of the two Ansaru commanders, Mahmud Usman Muhammad and Abubakar Abbas, who were already in custody. The Federal Government refused the demand and launched a joint operation involving multiple security agencies.
On July 10, the Presidency announced that the operation led to the release of the remaining 39 pupils and five teachers after 56 days in captivity. It also stated that security forces killed several terrorists and arrested eight suspects during the operation.
It is still unclear if the three men convicted for the school abduction were among the eight suspects arrested during the rescue operation.
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