Friday, September 12, 2025 - A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted Mahmud Usman, a commander of the proscribed Ansaru sect, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison for terrorism-related offences.
Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar, pleaded
guilty on Thursday to charges of engaging in illegal mining and channeling the
proceeds to procure arms for terrorist and kidnapping operations
Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that Usman
remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) pending trial
on 31 additional counts filed against him
Usman, who styled himself as the “Emir of Ansaru,” appeared
in court alongside his deputy and chief of staff, Mahmud al-Nigeri, popularly
called Malam Mamuda. Both face a 32-count indictment accusing them of leading a
terrorist organisation, financing its activities, recruiting fighters, and
coordinating violent attacks across Nigeria.
Authorities have linked Ansaru militants to several
high-profile incidents, including the July 2022 raid on Kuje Prison in Abuja,
which saw more than 600 inmates — including 64 Boko Haram suspects — escape.
They were also implicated in the 2022 attack on the Nigerian Army’s Wawa
Cantonment in Niger State, which left multiple casualties.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu described Usman as
“the coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind
of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund
terrorism.”
Mamuda, his deputy, reportedly trained in Libya between 2013
and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors, specialising in weapons handling
and improvised explosive device (IED) fabrication.
0 Comments