The Nigerian Government has arraigned two senior members of Ansaru at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The suspects: Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a Abbas/Mukhtar, and his deputy, Mahmud Al-Nigeri, also called Malam Mamuda, were brought to court by the Department of States Services (DSS) on Thursday.
The DSS filed a 32-count charge against the suspects before Justice Emeka Nwite.
The suspects were brought into the courtroom at about 9:09 am, shortly after DSS operatives mounted checkpoints around the court complex on Shehu Shagari Expressway.
Journalists were said to be initially barred from entering the premises, and broadcast crews were prevented from using recording equipment before a few reporters were latter allowed into the premises.
The suspects were accused of attacking the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, Niger State, in 2022, causing mass casualties.
They also allegedly received training in weapons handling, war tactics, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), fabrication from terrorist camps.
The two senior commanders are also accused of receiving training in war tactics from a terrorist organisation in Mali.