The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Hussaini Ismaila, a top commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), to 20 years in prison for terrorism-related offences.
Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the ruling on Tuesday after Ismaila, also known as Mai Tangaran, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on four counts under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.
Ismaila was accused of coordinating multiple attacks on police facilities in Kano State in 2012, including the Police Headquarters in Bompai, the Mobile Police Base on Kabuga Road, Pharm Centre Police Station, and Angwa Uku Police Station, leaving several people injured. He was arrested on August 31, 2017, in Tsamiyya Babba Village, Gezawa LGA, Kano State.
The trial experienced delays due to interlocutory appeals and a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of his extra-judicial statements. The Department of State Services (DSS) called five witnesses, including operatives and eyewitnesses, and following the testimony of the fifth witness, Ismaila changed his plea.
Ismaila’s lawyer, P. B. Onijah of the Legal Aid Council, urged the court to consider his client’s remorse and the plea to avoid further delays. Justice Nwite sentenced him to 15 years for count one and 20 years each for counts two, three, and four, with the sentences to run concurrently, starting from the date of his arrest. The judge also ordered Ismaila to undergo rehabilitation and deradicalisation upon completing his term.
Meanwhile, the trial of two alleged Ansaru leaders, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, has been adjourned to January 15, 2026. They face a 32-count charge filed by the DSS, including terrorism, kidnapping, illegal mining to fund terrorism, arms procurement, and training militants between 2015 and 2024.
Usman pleaded guilty to one count related to economic crime but denied the remaining charges. He had previously been sentenced to 15 years for illegal mining activities linked to terrorism and kidnapping. Abba has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The defendants are accused of bombing the Wawa Military Cantonment in Niger State, training in weapons and explosives, kidnapping security personnel—including a Customs officer and an Immigration officer who was killed—and collecting ransom to finance arms procurement and militant training in Mali and Sudan.
During proceedings, defence counsel B. I. Bakum requested the transfer of the accused to a correctional facility to facilitate trial access, which DSS counsel David Kaswe opposed citing procedural protocols. Justice Nwite adjourned the case to January 15, 2026, directing the defence to follow proper procedures for access.
