Nigeria, Sept. 11 -- Two top leaders of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, have arrived the Federal High Court in Abuja for arraignment on terrorism-related charges amid heavy security.

They were brought before trial judge Emeka Nwite, on the fourth floor of the court complex, at about 9 a.m. on Thursday.

The two globally wanted defendants are Mahmud Muhammed Usman (a.k.a. Abu Bara'a/Abbas Mukhtar) and his deputy, Abubakar Abba (a.k.a. Isah Adam/Mahmud Al-Nigeri).

They face 32 terrorism-related charges.

As early as 8:06 a.m. on Thursday, amid heavy rainfall, operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) armed with rifles, had taken positions at the entrances of the Federal High Court on the Shehu Shagary Expressway, in t...