Orion Reports

Two senior commanders of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru have pleaded guilty to a 32 count charge bordering on terrorism, terrorism financing, kidnapping and other related offences before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The suspects, Mahmud Usman , also known as Abu Bara'a or Abbas Mukhtar , and Abubakar Abba , also known as Isah Adam , Mahmud Al Nigeri or Mallam Mamuda , admitted to the charges during proceedings before Justice Emeka Nwite . The duo were initially arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) in September 2025. At the time, Usman pleaded guilty to a single count relating to illegal mining used to finance terrorism and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment , while both defendants denied the remaining charges. However, in the latest proceedings, they changed their pleas and admitted guilt to the broader allegations contained in the 32 count charge . The charges include terrorism financing through illegal mining, kidnapping for ran...

A Department of State Services (DSS) witness on Tuesday gave detailed testimony before the Federal High Court in Abuja, describing how suspected ISWAP members allegedly planned and carried out the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. Testifying under protection, the witness said investigations revealed that those arrested belonged to an Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) cell operating around Okene/Adavi LGA in Kogi State and parts of Ose LGA in Ondo State. The cell, he said, was coordinated by a man identified as Odoba, who allegedly moved around Ogaminana in Adavi LGA. According to the witness, the attack was planned days earlier. He told the court that on May 30, 2022, Odoba convened a meeting at Government Secondary School, Ogaminana. Present at the meeting was Al-Qasim Idris and other members of the cell. During that meeting, Odoba allegedly instructed them to prepare for an attack on the Catholic church in Owo and specifically dir...