The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, convicted a commander of the Ansaru terrorist sect, Mahmud Usman, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
The verdict followed a guilty plea entered by the defendant, who is also known by several aliases, including Abu Bara’a, Abbas, and Mukhtar.
Usman confessed before the court that he engaged in illegal mining activities and used the proceeds to acquire arms for terrorism and kidnapping operations.
He was arraigned on a 32-count charge alongside his deputy, Abubakar Abba, popularly called Mahmud Al-Nigeri or Isah Adam/Mallam Mamuda.
While Usman pleaded guilty to one count in the charge, his co-defendant maintained his innocence on all counts.
Consequently, in addition to sentencing Usman to 15 years’ imprisonment, trial judge Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that both men be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) pending the determination of the remaining 31 counts against them.
In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025, the Federal Government alleged that Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, and Mahmud Al-Nigeri, from Daura LGA of Katsina State, aided and abetted terrorist attacks across Nigeria between 2013 and 2015.
According to the prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, M.B. Abubakar, the defendants conspired to serve as top commanders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fii Bilaadis Sudan (JAMBS/Ansaru), a proscribed organisation in Nigeria linked to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.
They were also accused of receiving training in weapons handling, the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and war tactics from Jama’atu Nusratil Islami Wal Muslimin (JNIM), a Mali-based terrorist group.
In addition, the defendants were said to have participated in the 2022 attack on Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in New-Bussa, Niger State, which resulted in mass casualties.
