A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday convicted and sentenced Mahmud Usman, a commander of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru, to 15 years imprisonment for engaging in illegal mining activities.
Usman, who was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS), pleaded guilty to the charge, which prosecutors said was directly linked to the funding of terrorist operations, including the procurement of arms for terrorism and kidnapping.
Presiding over the case, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that the convict be remanded in DSS custody, pending the commencement of trial on 31 additional terrorism-related charges.
According to a 32-count charge filed before the court, Usman and a co-defendant, Abubakar Abba, are accused of orchestrating multiple acts of terrorism in 2022, including a deadly attack on the Wawa Military Cantonment in Kainji, New Bussa, located in Niger State’s Borgu Local Government Area. The attack reportedly resulted in significant casualties.
The DSS alleges that the defendants received extensive training in weapon handling, fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and guerrilla tactics from terrorist camps both within Nigeria and abroad, including Mali. They are also accused of masterminding the July 2022 Kuje prison break, which led to the escape of over 600 inmates, many of them high-risk individuals.
Additional charges link the accused to a foiled attack on a uranium facility in Niger State, the 2013 kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp, and the 2019 abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, the Magajin Garin Daura. They are further alleged to have participated in multiple armed robberies and coordinated various terror sleeper cell operations.
Justice Nwite adjourned further hearings in the case to October 21.
NSA Ribadu confirms arrest, reveals terror links
The arrest of Usman and his associate was recently confirmed by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, who revealed that the operation followed coordinated intelligence-led efforts by security agencies.
Ribadu described Usman as the “self-styled Emir of Ansaru”, and the central coordinator of numerous terrorist sleeper cells across the country. His deputy, identified as Mamuda, reportedly served as his “chief of staff,” leading the Mahmudawa cell operating near Kainji National Park.
Ansaru emerged in January 2012 as a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, primarily operating in North-Western Nigeria. The group has been linked to numerous high-profile attacks, often targeting foreign nationals, critical infrastructure, and military installations.
