The Department of State Services (DSS) has disclosed that several high-profile terrorism suspects are currently standing trial across Nigeria as part of renewed efforts to strengthen national security and ensure accountability.
In a statement issued by the secret police, the DSS revealed that five suspects are being prosecuted over the June 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, which claimed more than 40 lives and left over 100 others injured.
The service also confirmed that multiple suspects are facing trial for their roles in the June 2025 Yelwata massacrein Benue State, where dozens of residents were killed during a brutal assault that drew national outrage.
According to the DSS, its operatives recently arrested two top commanders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU)—Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate—during a high-risk, intelligence-led operation in July.
The suspects, identified as Usman (aka Abu Bara’a) and Abba (aka Isah Adam and Mahmud Al-Nigeri), were said to have been under surveillance for months before being captured.
“Usman, the self-styled Emir of ANSARU, allegedly coordinated various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria. He is believed to have masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and robberies used to finance terrorism,” the DSS statement said.
“Abba, his deputy and chief of staff, is accused of leading the ‘Mahmudawa’ cell, which operated around the Kainji National Park — straddling Niger, Kwara, and the Republic of Benin.”
The DSS Director-General, Tosin Ajayi, stated that these prosecutions demonstrate the agency’s commitment to bringing terrorists and their sponsors to justice within the framework of the law.
The Federal High Court in Abuja is scheduled to resume trial on November 19, where Usman and Abba face a 32-count charge bordering on terrorism financing and illegal mining.
Usman has already been sentenced to 15 years in prison for one of the charges, while Abba has pleaded not guilty.
The DSS also confirmed that the prosecution of Khalid Al-Barnawi, alleged mastermind of the 2011 United Nations building bombing in Abuja, is ongoing alongside four accomplices — Mohammed Bashir Saleh, Umar Mohammed Bello (aka Datti), Mohammed Salisu, and Yakubu Nuhu (aka Bello Maishayi).
The 2011 bombing killed 20 people and injured more than 70 others. The trial, delayed for years due to procedural challenges, recently resumed after Justice Nwite approved an accelerated hearing. During a trial-within-trial session in October, video recordings of the defendants’ confessional statements were played in court.
The DSS emphasized that over 125 convicted terrorists have been sentenced since last year, with several other cases pending before different courts nationwide.
The agency’s statement also cited a report by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which revealed that Mamuda, one of the suspects, received terrorist training in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specializing in weapons handling and IED fabrication.
Owo Church Attack: Five Suspects Arraigned
On August 11, the DSS arraigned five men before a Federal High Court in Abuja for their alleged involvement in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.
The accused — Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Otuho Abubakar — were charged with terrorism, murder, and membership in Al Shabab, a terrorist organization with a cell in Kogi State.
They pleaded not guilty to the nine-count charge, and Justice Nwite ordered their remand in DSS custody. The court later denied them bail, ruling that the charges were capital in nature and that the defendants posed a flight risk.
Yelwata Massacre: Dozens Killed, 26 Arrested
The DSS further confirmed ongoing trials of suspects arrested in connection with the Yelwata massacre in Guma Local Government Area, Benue State, on June 13, 2025.
The attack, which left dozens dead and over 100 injured, prompted President Bola Tinubu to visit the state and demand justice.
On June 24, 2025, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun announced the arrest of 26 suspectslinked to the massacre. Subsequently, in August 2025, the DSS filed terrorism-related charges against nine suspectsbefore the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Two of the accused, Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi from Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, remain at large. They were charged with four counts of terrorism, including concealing intelligence about the attacks in Abinsi and Yelwata between June 13 and 14.
The DSS filed six separate charges against other suspects currently facing trial: Musa Beniyon, Bako Malowa, Ibrahim Tunga, Asara Ahnadu, Legu Musa, Adamu Yale, Boddi Ayuba, and Pyeure Damina.
Additionally, two others — Terkende Ashuwa and Amos Alede, both from Guma LGA — are being tried for allegedly carrying out reprisal attacks against individuals accused of participating in the massacre.
All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
DSS Vows Continued Prosecution
Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to justice, DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi stated:
“The various arrests and prosecutions of terrorism suspects show that Nigeria’s security agencies are diligent in dealing with those who disrupt the nation’s peace.
The men we are prosecuting are separate from hundreds of suspects under military custody whose cases are being handled by the Office of the Attorney General. Since July last year, 125 terrorists have been convicted.
We shall continue to ensure that every offender is held accountable, in full compliance with the rule of law.”
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