The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced an alleged commander of the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group, Ansaru, Abubakar Abba, and his co-defendant, Mahmud Usman, to life imprisonment after both pleaded guilty to terrorism charges.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Monday, convicting the duo on a 32-count charge filed by the Federal Government through the Department of State Services (DSS).
The court sentenced the two men to life imprisonment on counts 30 and 31, while imposing an additional 20-year jail term on each of the remaining counts. Justice Nwite ordered that the sentences take effect from the date of their arrest.
The convicts were apprehended by DSS operatives in separate operations carried out between May and July 2025.
According to the prosecution, Abba and Usman were involved in terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and coordinating sleeper cells linked to terrorist networks operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.
Usman had earlier been convicted and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to a separate charge of illegal mining used to finance terrorism and procure arms.
The judgment represents a significant legal victory in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to prosecute individuals accused of terrorism and dismantle extremist networks operating within and beyond the country’s borders.
