A Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted Mahmud Usman, a commander of the banned Ansaru sect, on terrorism-related charges, sentencing him to 15 years in prison.
Usman, known by aliases Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar, admitted to engaging in illegal mining to procure arms for terrorist and kidnapping activities.
Justice Emeka Nwite ruled that Usman should be held in Department of State Services (DSS) custody pending trial on 31 additional charges. Usman and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, face a 32-count indictment for leading a terrorist group, financing its operations, recruiting fighters, and orchestrating violent attacks in Nigeria.
Ansaru militants, linked to high-profile incidents like the 2022 Kuje Prison raid in Abuja and the attack on the Wawa Cantonment in Niger State, were described by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu as a threat to national security.
Usman was identified as a coordinator of terrorist cells and the mastermind behind kidnappings and robberies used to finance terrorism.
Mamuda, Usman’s deputy, received training in Libya under foreign jihadist instructors, specializing in weapons handling and IED fabrication. The duo’s criminal activities include the abduction of notable figures and attacks on security forces, with ties to cases like the 2013 Francis Collomp kidnapping and the 2019 abduction of Musa Uba.
