- Safiu Kehinde
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has on Thursday convicted and sentenced Mahmud Usman, one of the commanders of Ansaru terrorist organisation to 15 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty of charge.
Recall that Usman was alongside another kingpin of the terrorist group, Abubakar Abba (aka Mallam Mamuda), arrested in an operation which was conducted between May and July 2025.
The leaders of the Al-Qaedea affiliated terrorist group were reportedly on the wanted list of the US, The United States, and the United Kingdom (UK).
Following their arrest, they were arraigned before the court by the Department of State Service (DSS).
Usman and Abubakar were, in a 32-count charge filed against them before the High Court, alleged to have committed acts of terrorism in 2022 by attacking Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Kainji, New Bussa, in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The Ansaru leades were also alleged to have received training in weapons handling and fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from various terrorist camps.
A terrorist organisation in Mali was also alleged to have trained them in war tactics.
At the resumption of the trial, Usman pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal mining activities during the resumption of the hearing today.
According to reports, the unlawful activities were said to have enabled him to acquire arms for terrorism and kidnapping purposes.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, however, ordered the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the DSS pending his trial for 31 other charges preferred against him by the service.