A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Mahmud Usman, a senior leader of the banned Ansaru group, to 15 years in prison for terrorism-related offences, marking a significant legal victory against extremist networks in Nigeria.
Known by several aliases, including Abu Bara’a, Abbas, and Mukhtar, Usman admitted to charges of illegal mining and using its profits to finance weapons for terrorist and kidnapping operations.
“This court recognizes the severity of crimes that threaten national security,” Justice Emeka Nwite stated during Thursday’s proceedings.
The judge also directed that Usman remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) as he faces trial on an additional 31 charges.
Usman appeared in court alongside his deputy and chief of staff, Mahmud al-Nigeri, popularly called Malam Mamuda, both accused of orchestrating violent attacks and recruiting fighters under a 32-count indictment.
Authorities have tied the duo to multiple high-profile attacks, including the notorious July 2022 Kuje Prison raid in Abuja, which facilitated the escape of over 600 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram suspects.
They are also linked to the 2022 assault on the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in Niger State, which resulted in numerous casualties.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu described Usman as “the coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies that fund terrorism.”
Mamuda, his deputy, reportedly trained in Libya from 2013 to 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors, specializing in weaponry and improvised explosive device (IED) construction.
Both men have also been implicated in past kidnappings, including the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Musa Uba (Magajin Garin Daura), and the capture of the Emir of Wawa.
The convictions signal Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to dismantle extremist networks and hold terror financiers accountable, sending a clear message to militant groups operating in the region.