Court jails Ansaru commander 15 years for terrorism financing

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Mahmud Usman, a commander of the proscribed Ansaru sect, to 15 years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to terrorism financing.

Usman was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on charges of engaging in illegal mining, an activity prosecutors revealed he used to raise funds for arms procurement, terrorist operations, and kidnappings.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that Usman remain in DSS custody while facing trial on 31 additional terrorism-related charges still pending before the court.

Court filings show that Usman, alongside another suspect, Abubakar Abba, allegedly carried out attacks in 2022, including an assault on Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Niger State’s Borgu Local Government Area, which resulted in multiple casualties.

The pair are further accused of undergoing weapons and explosives training in terrorist camps both within and outside Nigeria, including Mali. They also face allegations of plotting high-profile attacks such as the 2022 Kuje prison break, where more than 600 inmates escaped, as well as a planned strike on Niger’s uranium facility.

Other alleged crimes linked to the group include the abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013, the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, and several armed robberies.

Justice Nwite adjourned continuation of trial on the remaining charges to October 21.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, recently confirmed the arrests following what he described as coordinated security operations. He characterized Usman as the “self-styled Emir of Ansaru” who directed several sleeper cells nationwide, while his associate, Mamuda, acted as “chief of staff” and oversaw the “Mahmudawa” cell around Kainji National Park.

Ansaru, which broke away from Boko Haram in January 2012, has been accused of orchestrating multiple violent attacks in Nigeria and beyond.