ANSARU TERRORIST COMMANDER JAILED 15 YEARS FOR ILLEGAL MINING, TERRORISM TRIAL CONTINUES

One of the commanders of the Ansaru terrorist organization operating in the North-East of Nigeria, MAHMUD USMAN, has been sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

The Federal High Court in Abuja convicted USMAN on one count of illegal mining activities, following his arraignment by the Department of State Services, DSS.

The DSS told the court that USMAN used proceeds from his illegal mining activities to acquire arms for terrorism and kidnapping purposes.

In his judgment, Justice EMEKA NWITE ordered the convict to remain the DSS custody pending his trial on thirty-one other charges, including terrorism, preferred against him by the service.

The DSS alleged that USMAN and his accomplice, ABUBAKAR ABBA were involved in terror attacks at the Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Kainji, New Bussa, in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, sometimes in 2022.

The secret police further claimed that both men received training in weapons handling and fabrication of improvised explosive devices from various terrorists’ camps, as well as training in war tactics from a terrorist organization in Mali.

The DSS also alleged that the Ansaru commanders masterminded the jailbreak at the Kuje Prison in Abuja in July, 2022, which led to the escape of more than six hundred inmates.

They are also alleged to have planned the Niger uranium facility attack and multiple kidnappings, including that of French engineer FRANCIS COLLOMP in 2013, and the 2019 abduction of Alhaji MUSA UMAR UBA, Magajin GARIN DAURA, and several armed robberies.