DSS Testifies That Ansaru Leaders Received Military Training in Libya

An operative from the Department of State Services (DSS) revealed in a Federal High Court session in Abuja on Monday that two alleged commanders from the Ansaru terrorist organization, who are currently on trial, admitted to having undergone weapons training in Libya.

While testifying, the DSS member informed the court that the defendants disclosed during their interrogation that they had traveled to Libya for training in weapon handling as well as the creation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Under the guidance of the prosecution lawyer, David Kaswe, the witness detailed that the suspects confessed that they received instruction from foreign trainers originating from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria while at a training camp in Libya.

The training included techniques for making and using IEDs, in addition to operating various firearms.

The operative further indicated that the first suspect, Mahmoud Muhammed Usman, was apprehended after an extensive intelligence operation identified him as a leader of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, widely known as Ansaru.

He also mentioned that the second suspect, Abubakar Abba, was arrested by DSS agents at the Ugwan Musa Bypass in the Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Both suspects admitted to being part of Ansaru, described by the operative as a splinter group of Boko Haram involved in terrorism, kidnappings, banditry, armed robberies, and illegal mining across various regions, including the North-West and North-Central as well as in parts of the South-West, Edo, and Delta states.

The DSS operative highlighted that the defendants confessed to establishing the Ansaru network in Jigawa State following several meetings held in 2012.

He went on to indicate that the second defendant acknowledged participating in an assault on a Nigerian military outpost in Wawa in 2020, leading to the deaths of several soldiers.

Additionally, the operative stated that the defendants admitted to their involvement in the abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, a relative of former President Muhammadu Buhari, along with an immigration officer and a customs officer.

During his testimony, the second defendant also reportedly pledged allegiance to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which is claimed to have supplied the Ansaru group with arms and ammunition.

As the proceedings continued, the defense counsel, Bala Dakum, sought to dispute the validity of the defendants’ confession statements.

However, the prosecution countered this claim, asserting that the statements were made voluntarily in accordance with the provisions outlined in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The prosecution emphasized that the confessions were taken in the presence of legal representatives from the Legal Aid Council and without any duress involved.

In a brief ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, ordered a trial within a trial to assess the admissibility of these confessional statements.

The case has been adjourned until April 13, 2026, for the initiation of the trial within a trial.