Abuja Court Jails Ansaru Commander 15 Years for Terrorism-Linked Illegal Mining

Abuja Court Jails Ansaru Commander 15 Years for Terrorism-Linked Illegal Mining.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Mahmud Usman, a commander of the banned Ansaru sect, to 15 years in prison for using illegal mining proceeds to fund terrorism and kidnapping.

Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar, pleaded guilty on Thursday. Justice Emeka Nwite ordered he remain in DSS custody pending trial on 31 other charges. He was arraigned with his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri (Malam Mamuda), both facing a 32-count indictment for leading a terrorist group, recruiting fighters, and coordinating violent attacks.

Under their watch, Ansaru militants were linked to the July 2022 Kuje prison break that freed over 600 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram suspects, and the d+adly ass+¥lt on Wawa Cantonment in Niger State.

NSA Nuhu Ribadu earlier described Usman as the “coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund terrorism.” He revealed Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadists, specialising in weapons and IEDs.

The pair were also tied to the 2013 kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 abduction of Musa Uba (Magajin Garin Daura), and the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa. Ribadu hailed their capture as a “milestone,” noting:

“The suspects have networks across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.”

The conviction underscores how illegal mining has become a key funding source for terror groups and the government’s push to dismantle such networks.