An operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that two suspected commanders of the extremist group Ansaru allegedly received weapons and explosives training in Libya.
The witness, identified only as ABC for security reasons, testified before Justice Emeka Nwite on Monday during the opening of the prosecution’s case.
The testimony was presented by prosecuting counsel David Kaswe in the ongoing terrorism trial involving two suspects.
The defendants, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, are facing charges related to terrorism activities.
According to the DSS witness, the suspects allegedly admitted during interrogation that they travelled to Libya where they received training in handling firearms and producing improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
He told the court that instructors from several North African countries, including Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, were involved in the training programme.
The witness further explained that the first defendant, Usman, was arrested after extensive intelligence operations identified him as a leader within the militant group known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, commonly referred to as Ansaru.
Abba, the second defendant, was reportedly apprehended by security operatives at Ugwan Musa Bypass in Kaduna State.
During the testimony, the DSS officer described Ansaru as a splinter group from Boko Haram, allegedly involved in criminal activities such as kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and illegal mining across several parts of Nigeria.
These regions, he said, include the North-West, North-Central and South-West zones, as well as parts of Edo State and Delta State.
The witness also claimed that the suspects admitted to establishing the Ansaru network in Jigawa State after a series of meetings in 2012.
He added that the second defendant allegedly participated in a 2020 attack on a Nigerian Army base in Wawa, which reportedly led to the death of several soldiers.
The court also heard that the suspects allegedly confessed to involvement in several high-profile kidnappings, including that of Musa Umar Uba, a relative of late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the witness, the suspects also abducted an immigration officer and a customs officer in separate incidents.
The DSS officer further alleged that Abba admitted pledging allegiance to the extremist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which he said supplied arms and ammunition to the group.
However, defence counsel Bala Dakum challenged the admissibility of the suspects’ confessional statements, arguing that they should not be accepted as evidence.
The prosecution maintained that the statements were obtained voluntarily and in compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
According to the prosecution, the confessions were recorded in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.
Following arguments from both sides, Justice Nwite ordered a trial-within-trial to determine whether the confessional statements can be admitted as evidence.
The court adjourned proceedings until April 13 for the hearing.
