FEDERAL HIGH COURT JAILS ANSARU COMMANDER 15 YEARS FOR ILLEGAL MINING, TERRORISM FUNDING
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday convicted and sentenced Mahmud Usman, a commander of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru, to 15 years in prison.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the ruling after Usman pleaded guilty to charges of illegal mining, which prosecutors said he used to fund the acquisition of arms for terrorism and kidnapping. The judge ordered Usman’s remand in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) pending his trial on 31 additional charges. The case was adjourned until October 21.
Usman and another suspect, Abubakar Abba, are facing a 32-count charge filed by the Federal Government through the DSS. The duo is accused of masterminding several terrorist attacks, including the July 2022 Kuje prison break that freed over 600 inmates and a deadly assault on the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in Niger State.
Prosecutors further alleged that the men received advanced training in weapons handling, improvised explosive device (IED) fabrication, and war tactics from terrorist camps in Mali. They are also accused of plotting to attack a uranium facility in Niger, coordinating multiple kidnappings including that of French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013 and Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, in 2019 as well as carrying out armed robberies.
The Federal Government has described the case as a significant step in its efforts to dismantle terrorist financing networks and hold high-profile insurgents accountable.
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