The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to re-arraign five suspected members of the Ansaru terrorist group on Thursday over their alleged involvement in the May 15 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, which reportedly resulted in the death of two victims.
The suspects will face a six-count amended charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, on behalf of the Federal Government.
Those listed as defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a and Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, aka Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, aka Abu Khalifa and Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, aka Abu Itisar.
The re-arraignment, initially scheduled for Wednesday, was stalled after Muhammad, speaking on behalf of the defendants, objected to representation by counsel from the Legal Aid Council.
A Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Council, Akilaluyel Shettima, had announced his appearance for the five defendants before Justice Saliu Ibrahim.
Muhammad told the court that the defendants had previously engaged lawyer Bala Dakum and wished to retain him as their counsel.
Oyedepo, however, acknowledged that the defendants’ constitutional right to counsel of their choice should be respected. He assured the court that the DSS was committed to due process and justice rather than persecution.
Consequently, Justice Ibrahim adjourned the case until Thursday for the defendants’ re-arraignment.
The judge directed the defendants to contact Dakum and ensure his appearance in court, while ordering the DSS to provide them access to their chosen counsel to facilitate adequate preparation for their defence in accordance with the law.
