The trial of two alleged senior members of Ansaru, a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda, was on Thursday stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja following complaints by defence counsel that he had been denied access to his clients in detention.
The development occurred when the matter came up for trial before Justice Emeka Nwite.
Counsel to the defendants, Bala Dakum, told the court that he could not proceed with the case because operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) had refused him access to the two accused persons, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba.
Dakum explained that he had taken over the defence in October 2025 but had not been allowed to meet the defendants since then.
“I have not seen them since I took over this matter. The defendants are unfamiliar to me. I have only gone through the charges,” he said.
The lawyer urged the court to order the transfer of the suspects to a correctional facility where he would be able to consult with them adequately.
“If they want us to proceed, I just have to have access to them or they should be taken to any of the prison facilities,” Dakum told the court.
The defendants were arrested by Nigerian security forces in August 2025 and arraigned in September 2025 on a 32-count charge bordering on terrorism, illegal mining and violent attacks allegedly carried out between 2013 and 2015.
At their earlier arraignment, Usman pleaded guilty to one of the counts and was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, while Abba pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Responding, the prosecuting counsel, David Kaswe, informed the court that he was ready to open the case and call his first witness.
However, he explained that access to detainees at the DSS headquarters had been restricted due to an ongoing renovation of the facility.
According to him, the upgrade was aimed at bringing the detention facility in line with global best practices, adding that access would remain difficult until the work was completed.
He apologised to the court and applied for an adjournment.
Justice Nwite expressed displeasure over the delay, noting that the case had been fixed specifically for trial and that he had rearranged his schedule to preside over the matter.
“It is as if all the efforts I am making are going nowhere. I should be resting by now because during the period of Christmas and New Year celebrations, I was here,” the judge said.
When the court sought clarity on the duration of the renovation, a DSS officer disclosed that the work might be completed by March or April but could not give a definite timeline.
Kaswe later told the court that the prosecution would not oppose the transfer of the defendants to a correctional centre if their lawyers were still unable to gain access to them before the next hearing date.
Dakum, however, insisted that the defendants should be granted access not only to their lawyer but also to their family members, noting that Usman has 19 children.
Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter until March 16 for the commencement of the trial.
The case adds to growing concerns over delays in terrorism-related prosecutions, particularly issues surrounding access to detainees and compliance with fair trial procedures.