The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed multiple terrorism charges against two senior commanders of Ansaru, the Al-Qaeda-linked terror group, recently captured during security operations.
According to the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the suspects are Mahmud Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy and chief of staff, Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Malam Mamuda).
The charges against them include leading a terror organisation, financing terrorist activities, recruiting fighters, and coordinating violent attacks across Nigeria. Their arraignment before the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected in the coming days.
The DSS said its investigation was fast-tracked to ensure a speedy prosecution, in line with the directive of its Director-General, who stressed professionalism, justice, and respect for human rights in the handling of terrorism cases.
The suspects have long been on Nigeria’s terror watchlist. In July 2022, Ansaru militants were linked to the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, where more than 600 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram suspects, escaped.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu described Usman and Mamuda as masterminds of the jailbreak. He said Abu Bara coordinated terrorist sleeper cells nationwide and masterminded high-profile kidnappings and robberies used to fund terrorism, while Mamuda, who trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015, specialised in weapons handling and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
The duo have also been linked to the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the 2019 kidnapping of Musa Uba (Magajin Garin Daura), and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.
Ribadu described their arrest as a “turning point” in Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts, noting that the suspects maintained networks extending into Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.