BREAKING: Ansaru commander, Mahmud Usman jailed
A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Mahmud Usman, a top commander of the proscribed Ansaru sect, to 15 years in prison.
Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, pleaded guilty on Thursday to engaging in illegal mining and channeling the proceeds into purchasing arms for terrorism and kidnapping operations.
Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that Usman remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) pending trial on 31 other terrorism-related charges.
Usman, who described himself as the “Emir of Ansaru,” was arraigned alongside his deputy and chief of staff, Mahmud al-Nigeri, popularly known as Malam Mamuda.
Both men are facing a 32-count charge bordering on leading a terrorist organisation, financing terrorism, recruiting fighters, and coordinating violent attacks across Nigeria.
Ansaru militants have been linked to the July 2022 attack on Kuje Prison in Abuja, during which more than 600 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram suspects, escaped.
