A suspected commander of Ansaru, an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, has been granted more time before deciding how to answer the charges against him. According to Channels Television, the Federal High Court in Abuja gave the defendant until July 20 to make up his mind on whether or not to plead guilty to the terrorism-related charges he is facing, keeping the closely watched case open for now.
The decision was handed down by the presiding judge. As reported by Channels Television, Justice Emeka Nwite set the July 20 deadline for the suspect, Abubakar Abba, who is also known by the alias Abu Dara. The naming of the defendant and his alleged links to the group placed the proceedings among the higher-profile terrorism cases currently before the Abuja court.
The case is being driven by one of Nigeria's main security agencies. Channels Television reported that Abubakar Abba is being prosecuted for alleged terrorism by the Department of State Services, the country's domestic intelligence agency, which has brought the terrorism-related charges that now stand against him before the Federal High Court.
Abba is not the only person in the dock. According to Channels Television, he is standing trial alongside three other defendants, named as Mahmoud al-Usman, Isa Adam and Mahmoud al-Nigiri, who are also facing various terrorism-related charges in the same proceedings, giving the case a broader dimension beyond a single accused.
The hearing had originally been listed for a different purpose. Channels Television reported that the matter was fixed for continuation of hearing on Thursday, but it took an unexpected turn when Abba informed the court of his intention to withdraw the plea of not guilty that he had earlier entered, opening the door to a possible change in how the trial would proceed.
That intention, however, did not translate into an immediate decision. As reported by Channels Television, after conferring with his counsel, Abba told the court that he was still undecided on whether to change his plea or to retain the earlier one, leaving the central question of the trial unresolved for the time being.
The prosecution pushed back against any delay. According to Channels Television, the prosecuting counsel, David Cassidy, opposed any further adjournment, arguing that the defendant had made a similar request at the last sitting and had still failed to make up his mind. Despite that objection, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter till July 20 for the defendant to decide on his plea or for the continuation of the hearing.