According to a report by Daily Post on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, a witness from the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr James Simon, told a Federal High Court in Abuja that three terrorism suspects on trial confessed to spying on the American and Israeli embassies on behalf of the Republic of Iran in preparation for alleged terrorist attacks.
Mr Simon informed Justice Emeka Nwite that the defendants—Haruna Ali Abbas, Ibrahim Hussein Musa, and Adam Suleiman—admitted to the crimes during interrogations and in extra-judicial statements made after their arrest.
The witness emphasized that the confessions were detailed and indicated a coordinated plan.
Simon, a Deputy Director with DSS, read the extra-judicial statement of the first defendant, Haruna Abbas, in court, explaining that Abbas admitted being the leader of the group during their trip to Iran.
According to the statement, the defendants received training on weapons handling and collecting open-source intelligence on the American and Israeli embassies for Iran.
The witness was cross-examined by counsel Aliyu Yawuru, and during the questioning, he stated that the defendants’ involvement in surveillance, recruitment, and weapons training constituted acts of terrorism.
He emphasized that such activities, even by non-military personnel, fall within the scope of terrorism offenses.
Mr Simon said that the defendants’ mission, as outlined in their statements, was to conduct surveillance and gather information on the American and Israeli embassies.
He highlighted that their trip to Iran was part of a broader plan to acquire the skills necessary to carry out these missions.
In his testimony, Simon described the specifics of the training, noting that the defendants were taken to a two-story building and then to a military barrack in Iran where they were trained in firearm usage.
He also mentioned that the defendants had requested additional recruits to join them for training but were arrested upon returning to Nigeria.
The witness read from the statement, in which the defendant said, “Upon arrival in Iran, we were taken to a 2-story building and from there, we were taken to an Iranian Military barrack where we were trained on gun shootings. They requested another three trusted persons to be sent to them for training but we were arrested upon arrival in Nigeria.”
... Upon Arrival In Iran, We Were Taken To A 2-Story Building, We Were Trained On Gun Shootings–Abbas ... Sportify Post.