The Department of State Services is set to re-arraign five suspected members of the Ansaru terrorist group over their alleged involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State.
The suspects are facing allegations connected with the May 15 abduction, during which two of the victims were reportedly killed.
They are to be re-arraigned 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.
The suspects were initially scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday before Justice Saliu Ibrahim, but the proceedings could not go ahead after Muhammad objected to representation by a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council.
A Deputy Director of the Legal Aid Council, Akilaluyel Shettima, had announced his appearance for the five defendants.
Muhammad, speaking on behalf of the other accused persons, told the court that they had previously engaged Bala Dakum as their lawyer and wanted him to continue representing them.
“We had been represented by Bala Dakum as our lawyer before, and we would want him to continue to defend us,” he said.
Responding to the objection, Oyedepo acknowledged that the defendants’ right to counsel of their choice was constitutionally protected.
The prosecution counsel also said the DSS was committed to due process and was not interested in persecuting the accused but in ensuring that justice was served.
Following the development, Justice Ibrahim adjourned the case until Thursday for the defendants to be re-arraigned.
The judge directed the suspects to contact Dakum and ensure that he was available in court for the proceedings.
Justice Ibrahim also ordered the DSS to allow the defendants access to their lawyer so they could prepare their defence in accordance with the law.
On May 15, gunmen attacked three schools in Oriire LGA and abducted 39 pupils and seven teachers, including the principal of one of the affected schools. Two people were killed during the attack.
Days later, the abductors killed Michael Oyedokun, one of the abducted teachers, while in captivity.
On July 10, the federal government announced that all the abductees had been rescued following a joint security operation.