The Federal High Court, Abuja has given one suspected commander of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, being prosecuted for alleged terrorism by the Department of the State Service (DSS), Abubakar Abba, up till July 20 to decide on whether or not to plead guilty to the terrorism -related charges against him.

Abubakar Abba a.k.a. Abu Bara’a is standing trial alongside Mahmud Usman a.k.a. Isah Adam/Mahmud Al-Nigeri on various terrorism- related charges before Justice Emeka Nwite.

The matter, which was fixed for continuation of hearing on Thursday, took a dramatic turn when Abba informed the court of his intention to withdraw his earlier not guilty plea.

However, after conferring with his counsel, Husseina Tukur, Abba told the court that he was still undecided on whether to change his plea or retain the earlier one.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr David Kaswe, opposed any further adjournment, arguing that the defendant had made a similar request at the last sitting.

He urged the court to proceed with the trial should the defendant fail to make up his mind.

In a short ruling, Justice Nwite held that it was the first time the defendant’s intention to change his plea was formally brought before the court.

As the issue was for the first time being officially raised on record, said the judge, the defendant should be given the opportunity to make up his mind.

Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter until July 20 for the defendant to decide on whether or not to change his plea or for continuation of hearing.

The defendants were arrested in separate operations between May and July 2025 by the DSS.

‎They were slammed with a 32-count terrorism charge, including terrorism and terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, funding terrorism, fabricating Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), among other charges.

They are accused of coordinating sleeper cells, attacks, and ties to groups in the Sahel/Maghreb.
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On arraignment, Usman had pleaded guilty to one-count of illegal mining for funding terrorism/arms and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

He pleaded not guilty to the remaining 31 counts while Abba pleaded not guilty to all charges.

By Jabiru Hassan.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria, (TCN) has restored power on the Benin-Omotosho 330kV Transmission Line at 7:05 pm on Thursday, 2nd July, 2026. 

 The restoration followed an outage on the line on 25th June, 2026, caused by detachment of conductors. 

TCN engineers have since worked to restring and complete maintenance on the affected sections of the transmission line. 

 With the line now back in service, the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (Eko DisCo) and Ikeja Electric will be able to off-take more power for supply to their customers in their franchise areas.

  TCN apologises for the inconvenience caused by the outage and appreciates the understanding and cooperation of all affected during the period.  

The Center for Peace Transparency and Accountability (CPTA) has called on Nigerians to exercise restraint and allow due process to take its course following recent allegations circulating in the media against the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Patrick Ogheneyero Jr., the organization stressed that while allegations of misconduct against public officials should be treated seriously, they must be subjected to lawful investigation and supported by credible evidence before conclusions are drawn.

According to the group, media reports, public opinion and politically charged narratives should not replace constitutional principles of fairness, insisting that allegations remain unproven until established by competent authorities.

CPTA noted that, as of the time of its statement, no court of competent jurisdiction or duly constituted anti-corruption agency had found the Chief of Staff culpable in relation to the claims being circulated.

“It would therefore be premature, unfair and contrary to the principles of natural justice to convict any public official in the court of public opinion,” the organization stated.

The group expressed concern over what it described as an increasing trend of politically sensitive allegations being amplified through the media before independent verification of the facts, warning that such practices could erode public confidence in democratic institutions and weaken the credibility of genuine anti-corruption efforts.

It further recalled that the Office of the Chief of Staff had previously distanced the Presidency from the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, maintaining that no such office exists under the current administration. According to CPTA, the current controversy appears to have arisen within the context of that disagreement, making it even more imperative for the public to approach the matter with caution rather than emotion.

Highlighting the responsibilities of the Office of the Chief of Staff, the organization said the office occupies a strategic administrative position within the Presidency, coordinating presidential schedules, supervising internal workflow, facilitating inter-agency communication, supporting executive decision-making and ensuring the efficient transmission of official government business.

The group added that under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Office of the Chief of Staff has played an important coordinating role in executive processes leading to presidential consideration and assent to bills passed by the National Assembly, while also providing administrative support for policy implementation, stakeholder engagement and intergovernmental coordination.

According to CPTA, these institutional responsibilities, although often carried out away from public attention, remain central to the effective functioning of the Presidency and should not be overshadowed by allegations that have yet to be substantiated through official investigations.

While reaffirming that no public official should be exempt from scrutiny, the organization maintained that accountability must be anchored on verifiable facts, credible evidence and lawful procedures rather than speculation, political rivalry or media sensationalism.

The group warned that relying primarily on media campaigns to determine guilt risks prejudicing public perception and could potentially undermine the integrity of any future investigation.

CPTA therefore urged Nigerians, media organizations and other stakeholders to prioritize fact-checking and objective reporting, emphasizing that responsible journalism requires the verification of claims before publication and that citizens should avoid passing judgment on matters that remain under public debate without conclusive evidence.

The organization further cautioned against using unverified allegations as political weapons or instruments of character assassination, arguing that democracy is strengthened when institutions, not propaganda, speculation or emotions, determine questions of guilt or innocence.

It called on all relevant authorities to ensure that any allegations are investigated transparently and professionally, while urging members of the public to refrain from inflammatory commentary capable of undermining confidence in governance and democratic institutions.

CPTA maintained that until competent authorities conclude otherwise based on credible evidence, Gbajabiamila, like every Nigerian citizen, is constitutionally entitled to the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair hearing.

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability and the rule of law, the organization said it would continue to support responsible public discourse while opposing attempts to deploy unsubstantiated allegations for political persecution or reputational damage.