By Olatunbosun Obafemi
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced Mahmud Usman, a commander of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru, to 15 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to engaging in illegal mining to finance terrorism and kidnappings.
Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence following Usman’s admission of guilt, but ordered that he remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) pending trial on 31 other terrorism-related charges. The continuation of his trial is scheduled for October 21.
According to court filings, Usman and a co-defendant, Abubakar Abba, face a 32-count charge over alleged acts of terrorism dating back to 2022. The pair are accused of attacking the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in New Bussa, Niger State, resulting in mass casualties. They are also alleged to have undergone weapons and explosives training in Mali and at other terrorist camps.
The DSS further accuses Usman of masterminding the July 2022 Kuje prison break that freed more than 600 inmates, plotting an attack on Niger’s uranium facilities, and coordinating high-profile kidnappings. Among these was the abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013, the 2019 kidnapping of Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, and multiple armed robberies.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, who recently confirmed the arrests during a coordinated operation, described Usman as the “self-styled Emir of Ansaru” and coordinator of several terrorist sleeper cells. He added that Usman’s chief aide, identified as Mamuda, headed the “Mahmudawa” faction operating around Kainji National Park.
Ansaru, which emerged in Kano in 2012 as a splinter group from Boko Haram, has been linked to violent attacks, kidnappings, and ties with international jihadist networks.
The latest conviction is being seen as a significant step in the government’s ongoing counter-terrorism efforts, though authorities maintain that investigations into Ansaru’s wider network remain active.
