The Department of State Services (DSS) will on Thursday re-arraign five suspected members of the Ansaru terrorist group over their alleged roles in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State and the subsequent killing of two victims.
The defendants are scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a six-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2026, filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, on behalf of the Federal Government.
The accused 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.
Their arraignment, initially fixed for Wednesday, was deferred after Muhammad objected to representation by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.
A Deputy Director of the council, Akilaluyel Shettima, had announced his appearance for the five defendants before Justice Saliu Ibrahim. Muhammad, speaking for the group, told the court that they had previously engaged lawyer Bala Dakum and wanted him to continue handling their case.
“We had been represented by Bala Dakum as our lawyer before, and we would want him to continue to defend us,” he told the court.
Oyedepo acknowledged that the defendants’ constitutional right to counsel of their choice should be respected. The prosecution counsel also told the court that the DSS was a law-abiding institution focused on ensuring justice rather than persecuting the accused.
Justice Ibrahim subsequently adjourned the matter to Thursday to allow the defendants to be re-arraigned with their preferred counsel.
The judge instructed the suspects to contact Dakum and ensure that he is available for the proceedings. He also directed the DSS to provide the defendants access to their lawyer so they can adequately prepare their defence in line with legal requirements.
The case stems from the May 15 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The Federal Government alleges that the five suspects were involved in the incident, which was followed by the killing of two of the abducted victims.
The amended charge places the allegations before the court for judicial determination. The defendants have not been convicted of the offences and will have the opportunity to respond to the claims against them through their legal representation.
Thursday’s proceedings will therefore combine two significant aspects of the case: the formal presentation of the amended charges and the defendants’ participation in the process with counsel of their choice.
The court’s earlier directive also places an obligation on the custodial authorities to facilitate communication between the accused persons and their lawyer ahead of the renewed arraignment.
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