COURT JAILS TWO ANSARU COMMANDERS FOR LIFE OVER TERRORISM
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By ‘Sefiu Ajape
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two senior members of the Ansaru terrorist group, an al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist organisation, to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offences.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Friday after convicting Abubakar Abba, also known as Abu Barra, and Mahmud Usman on a 32-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.
The charges bordered on terrorism, terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other terrorism-related offences.
Justice Nwite sentenced both men to life imprisonment on counts 30 and 31, while imposing an additional 20-year prison term on each of the remaining counts.
The court ordered that the prison terms on the other counts should run from the date of their arrest.
According to the prosecution, the convicts served as commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group and were responsible for coordinating sleeper cells, facilitating terrorist attacks and maintaining operational links with extremist groups across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.
The DSS told the court that the pair were arrested in separate intelligence-led operations conducted between May and July 2025.
The prosecution further alleged that the convicts financed terrorist activities through illegal mining and were involved in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices used in terrorist attacks.
Court records also showed that Mahmud Usman had earlier pleaded guilty to a separate charge of illegal mining for the purpose of funding terrorism and procuring arms, for which he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The judgment marks another conviction secured under Nigeria’s terrorism laws as authorities intensify efforts to prosecute individuals linked to terrorist financing and violent extremist groups.
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