Mahmud Usman, a high-ranking commander of the outlawed terrorist group Ansaru, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Federal High Court in Abuja. The judgment came after Usman pleaded guilty to engaging in illegal mining and using the proceeds to fund arms for terrorism and kidnapping operations.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the case, also ordered that Usman remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) as he awaits trial on 31 additional terrorism-related charges. Usman, known by aliases like Abu Bara’a and Mukhtar, was described by authorities as the self-proclaimed “Emir of Ansaru” and a mastermind behind multiple sleeper cells across Nigeria.
The charges against him include organizing the 2022 attack on the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in Niger State, which caused several casualties, and being linked to the infamous Kuje prison break, where over 600 inmates escaped. Investigators further tied him to high-profile kidnappings, including that of a French engineer in 2013 and the 2019 abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura.
This sentencing marks a significant move in the government’s crackdown on terrorism, with Usman’s next court appearance on the remaining charges scheduled for October 21.
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