Court jails captured Ansaru leader 15 years for illegal mining

By: Zagazola Makama

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a captured leader of the proscribed Ansaru terrorist group, Mahmud Muhammed Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, to 15 years in prison for illegal mining.

Usman, from Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, was arrested alongside another top Ansaru commander, Abubakar Abba, also known as Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, who hails from Daura, Katsina State.

The duo were arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on 32 counts bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, attacks on military formations, illegal mining, and links with foreign jihadist groups in Mali.

Of the charges, Usman pleaded guilty to count 10 on illegal mining. Presiding Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, consequently convicted him and handed down the 15-year sentence.

Usman, popularly known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, was arrested earlier this year in a covert operation by the Department of State Services (DSS). On Thursday, he was handed a 15-year prison term by a Federal High Court in Abuja after pleading guilty to charges of illegal mining, one of the 32 terrorism-related counts brought against him.

The conviction, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, came after the DSS arraigned Usman alongside his associate, Abubakar Abba, also called Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, a native of Daura in Katsina State. Both men were accused of playing commanding roles in Ansaru, an extremist faction that broke away from Boko Haram in 2012 and has since operated across northern Nigeria and parts of the Sahel.

Court documents presented by the DSS detailed a chilling record of crimes committed by Usman and his accomplices between 2013 and 2025. These included: Kidnappings for ransom where the duo allegedly masterminded multiple high-profile abductions, including that of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, the Magajin Garin Daura, in 2019; traditional rulers, Fulani leaders, and security officials across Katsina, Niger and Kebbi States; and several civilians, with ransom sums ranging from ₦1.5 million to ₦25 million.

They also reportedly received combat training from Al-Qaeda-linked Jama’atu Nusratil Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM) in Mali, including in the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), arms handling and guerrilla tactics. The suspects were accused of participating in the 2022 assault on Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in New Bussa, Niger State, which left numerous casualties.

Usman, the first defendant, admitted to running mining operations that funded terrorist activities, a crime that ultimately sealed his conviction in Thursday’s proceedings.

However, despite facing a string of terrorism charges, Usman opted to plead guilty to a lesser count illegal mining under the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022. His admission allowed the court to deliver a conviction, while the other counts remain under scrutiny.

Justice Nwite, in his ruling, noted that the plea bargain did not erase the gravity of the allegations but stressed the importance of holding suspects accountable under the law. He sentenced Usman to 15 years’ imprisonment.

His co-defendant, Abubakar Abba, pleaded not guilty to all charges. The case against him continues.

The conviction bring to the fore two critical realities in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism landscape. First, it demonstrates the DSS’s capacity to track, arrest and prosecute top extremist leaders, a feat that had long eluded security forces. Second, it signals that Nigeria’s judiciary is increasingly willing to tackle terrorism cases head-on, despite their complexity.

Ansaru, once considered a weakened faction, has re-emerged in parts of north-western Nigeria in recent years, exploiting banditry networks and illicit mining to finance its operations. The group maintains links with Al-Qaeda affiliates in the Sahel, posing a dual threat to both Nigeria and regional stability.

Nigeria has in recent months accelerated its prosecution of terror suspects, with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the DSS, and the Ministry of Justice working closely to fast-track cases in Kainji in Niger and Borno states.

However, the long list of counts against Usman and Abba, including allegations of kidnappings, ransom payments, and international terror training, pointing to the scale of challenges Nigeria faces.

As one counter-terrorism analyst put it: “The conviction of an Ansaru commander is not the endgame it’s the beginning of a stronger fight against the enablers and financiers of terror in Nigeria.”

Court jails captured Ansaru leader 15 years for illegal mining