A suspected commander of the Ansaru terrorist group, Abubakar Abba, also known as Abu Bara’a, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja for more time to decide whether to change his not guilty plea in an ongoing terrorism trial.
Justice Emeka Nwite on Thursday granted Abba until July 20 to determine whether he would plead guilty to the terrorism-related charges or maintain his earlier plea.
Abba is standing trial alongside Mahmud Usman, also known as Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, on a 32-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The case, which was scheduled for continuation of hearing, took a different turn after Abba informed the court of his intention to withdraw his earlier not guilty plea.
Following the court’s permission for him to consult with his lawyer, Husseina Tukur, Abba later told the court he had not yet made a final decision on whether to change his plea.
The prosecution, led by David Kaswe, opposed any further delay, arguing that the defendant had made a similar request during the previous hearing.
Kaswe urged the court to proceed with the trial if Abba remained unable to decide.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the request to change the plea had been formally raised before the court for the first time.
“As the issue was for the first time being officially raised on record, the defendant should be given the opportunity to make up his mind,” the judge ruled.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until July 20 for Abba to either enter a new plea or for the trial to continue.
The DSS arrested the two defendants in separate operations between May and July 2025.
They are facing charges bordering on terrorism, terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other related offences.
The prosecution also alleges that the defendants coordinated sleeper cells, participated in terrorist attacks, and maintained links with Ansaru and Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist networks operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.
Usman had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of illegal mining for the purpose of funding terrorism and arms procurement. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on that count but pleaded not guilty to the remaining 31 charges.
Abba, on his part, pleaded not guilty to all the charges at his arraignment.
(The Whistler)
