A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two senior commanders of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, Ansaru, to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to multiple terrorism-related charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
The convicts, identified as Abubakar Abba, also known as Abu Bara, and Mahmud Usman, alias Isah Adam, were prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a 32-count charge bordering on terrorism, membership of a terrorist organisation, conspiracy and related offences.
The court found that the two men played key leadership roles within the Ansaru terrorist network, coordinating sleeper cells, facilitating terrorist operations and maintaining operational links with extremist groups operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.
During the proceedings, both defendants pleaded guilty to the charges. Following their pleas, the court sentenced each of them to life imprisonment on the principal terrorism counts, while imposing additional prison terms on other counts to run from the dates of their respective arrests.
According to the prosecution, the convicts were arrested in separate intelligence-led operations carried out between May and July 2025 as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks operating within and outside Nigeria.
Security authorities described the convictions as another major breakthrough in the country’s counter-terrorism campaign, noting that the successful prosecution demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring that individuals involved in terrorist activities face the full weight of the law.
Ansaru, an extremist group linked to Al-Qaeda, has been responsible for several attacks and kidnappings in Nigeria over the years and is regarded as one of the country’s most dangerous terrorist organisations.
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