The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to re-arraign on Thursday, September 17, five men accused of involvement in the May 15 abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State and the subsequent killing of two of the victims.
The suspects are to be re-arraigned 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, who are alleged to be members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU) terrorist group, are Mahmud Muhammad (aka Abu Bara’a, Abbas Mukhtar); Abubakar Abbas (aka Isah Adam, Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri); Abdulrazak Umar (aka Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid); Yunusa Musa (aka Abu Yunusa Bin Musa); and Shamsu Adamu Sani (aka Abu Itisar).
The suspects were originally scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, September 16, but the proceedings were postponed after they insisted on being represented by lawyers of their choice.
During the proceedings, a Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Council, Akilaluyel Shettima, announced his appearance as counsel for the five suspects. However, the first accused, Mahmud Muhammad, objected to the arrangement.
Speaking on behalf of the other accused persons, Muhammad told the trial judge, Justice Salim Ibrahim, that they had previously been represented by a lawyer, Bala Dakum, and wanted him to continue handling their case.
Oyedepo subsequently conceded that the choice of legal representation was a constitutional right that should be respected, stressing that the DSS was a law-abiding institution with no interest in persecuting the accused but only in ensuring justice.
Justice Ibrahim consequently adjourned the re-arraignment to September 17.
The judge directed the accused persons to contact their preferred lawyer and ensure that he is present in court on September 17 for the re-arraignment.
He also ordered the DSS to grant the accused access to their lawyer to enable them to adequately prepare their defence.
