A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Mahmud Usman, a senior commander of the proscribed Ansaru terrorist group, to 15 years imprisonment.
Usman, who was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS), pleaded guilty to charges of illegal mining used to finance arms purchases for terrorism and kidnapping operations. He was first arrested on August 16, 2025.
Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that Usman remain in DSS custody as he faces trial on 31 additional terrorism-related charges. These include allegations of involvement in the 2022 Wawa Cantonment attack in Niger State, training in weapons and explosives in Mali and Libya, and links to the July 2022 Kuje prison break that freed over 600 inmates, including Boko Haram members.
Court filings also tied Usman and his associates, including deputy commander Mahmud al-Nigeri (alias Mallam Mamuda), to planned attacks on Niger’s uranium facilities and several high-profile kidnappings, such as French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013 and Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, in 2019.
Ansaru, a Boko Haram splinter group formed in 2012, has strong ties to Al-Qaeda and has been blamed for kidnappings, armed robberies, and assaults on security forces across Nigeria.
Justice Nwite adjourned further hearings on the pending charges to October 21.
