Nigeria DSS to appeal life sentences for Ansaru commanders

The Department of State Services announced plans to appeal the life sentences handed to two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist organization by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, July 20, 2026. A DSS official said the agency considers the punishment insufficient for the gravity of the crimes, which include terrorism, kidnapping, and financing terrorism through illegal mining.

Justice Emeka Nwite sentenced Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Baraa, and Abubakar Abba, also known as Mahmud al-Nigeri, after they pleaded guilty to all 32 counts against them. The charges detailed offenses including terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, fabrication of explosives, and coordinating sleeper cells linked to groups across the Sahel and Maghreb regions. The two men had been arrested in separate operations between May and July 2025.

During the sentencing hearing, the defendants' lawyer, Bala Dakun, urged the court for leniency, citing their guilty pleas, remorse, and willingness to cooperate with authorities by providing information on terrorist networks. Usman, who is 50 years old, addressed the court directly to express remorse and plead for mercy due to his...