A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday convicted and sentenced Mahmud Usman, one of the commanders of Ansaru, a proscribed terrorist organisation, to 15 years imprisonment.
Usman, who was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS), pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal mining activities.
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.
In a 32-count charge filed before the Federal High Court, Usman and Abubakar Abba were 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 attack led to mass casualties.
They are also alleged to have received training in weapons handling and fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from various terrorist camps.
They were also accused of receiving training in war tactics from a terrorist organisation in Mali.
Following the sentencing, Justice Nwite fixed October 21 for trial.
The DSS accuses the commanders of masterminding the July 2022 Kuje prison attack, which freed more than 600 inmates.
They also allegedly planned the Niger uranium facility attack and multiple kidnappings, including that of French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013.
Apart from that, they also committed other alleged crimes, including the 2019 abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, and several armed robberies.
Ribadu Confirms Arrest
Recently, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed their arrest.
According to him, this followed coordinated security operations.
Ribadu described Usman as the “self-styled Emir of Ansaru” and coordinator of several terrorist sleeper cells across the country.
He said Mamuda worked as his “chief of staff,” leading the “Mahmudawa” cell around Kainji National Park.
Ansaru emerged in January 2012 in Kano as a splinter faction from Boko Haram.
