Breaking: Court jails 2 Ansaru commanders for life over terrorism

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two senior members of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group, to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to multiple terrorism-related offences.

The convicts, Abubakar Abba, popularly known as Abu Bara, and Mahmud Usman, also known as Isah Adam or Mahmud, were convicted after admitting to a 32-count terrorism charge filed against them by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.

Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Monday, describing the convictions as the outcome of the criminal proceedings instituted against the two men following their arrest by security operatives.

The case is one of the most significant terrorism prosecutions concluded by the Federal Government in recent times, involving allegations of terrorism financing, kidnapping and links to international terrorist networks.

Court hands down life sentences

Justice Nwite sentenced both Abba and Usman to life imprisonment on counts 30 and 31 of the charge after they entered guilty pleas before the court.

In addition to the life sentences, the judge imposed 20-year prison terms on the remaining counts contained in the charge.

The court further ordered that the prison terms on the other counts should take effect from the date the defendants were arrested.

DSS prosecuted case on behalf of FG

The prosecution was handled by the Department of State Services on behalf of the Federal Government.

According to court records, the two defendants were arrested in separate security operations carried out by the DSS between May and July 2025 following intelligence gathering and investigations into terrorist activities.

Their arrests were part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to dismantle terrorist cells operating within Nigeria and disrupt their sources of funding.

Convicts faced 32 terrorism-related charges

The defendants were arraigned on a 32-count charge bordering on terrorism, terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, funding terrorism and the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

They were also accused of coordinating sleeper cells, planning attacks and maintaining operational links with terrorist groups operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.

The prosecution argued that their activities posed a serious threat to national security and contributed to terrorist operations within and outside Nigeria.

Usman earlier convicted over illegal mining

Before the conclusion of the terrorism trial, Mahmud Usman had separately pleaded guilty to a count relating to illegal mining carried out to finance terrorism and procure weapons.

Following that plea, the court sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment.

With Monday’s judgment, both defendants will now serve life imprisonment in addition to other prison terms imposed by the court, bringing to a close one of the country’s major terrorism trials.