By Muhammad Mamman
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced Mahmud Usman, a senior commander of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru, to 15 years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to funding terror operations through illegal mining.
The Department of State Services (DSS) told the court that Usman used proceeds from the illicit trade to acquire arms for terrorist attacks and kidnappings across Nigeria.
Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that Usman remain in DSS custody pending the continuation of his trial on 31 additional terrorism charges. The court fixed 21 October for further proceedings.
A Web of Terror
In a 32-count indictment, Usman and his deputy, Abubakar Abba, stand accused of a string of atrocities, including the July 2022 Kuje prison attack, which freed more than 600 inmates, and the assault on Wawa Military Cantonment in Niger State that left scores dead.
They are also alleged to have plotted an assault on Nigeria’s uranium facility, masterminded high-profile kidnappings—including that of French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013 and Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, in 2019—and carried out multiple armed robberies.
According to investigators, the duo received extensive training in weapons handling, improvised explosive device (IED) fabrication, and guerrilla tactics from terror camps in Mali and beyond.
“Emir of Ansaru”
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, who confirmed their arrests during coordinated security operations, described Usman as the “self-styled Emir of Ansaru” and chief coordinator of several sleeper cells nationwide. His deputy, identified as Mamuda, allegedly acted as “chief of staff,” leading the Mahmudawa cell around Kainji National Park.
Ansaru, which emerged in Kano in 2012 as a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, has been linked to numerous attacks, kidnappings, and acts of sabotage against both Nigerian and international targets.
