BREAKING: Abuja Court Jails Ansaru Terror Leader Mahmud Usman 15 Years For Illegal Mining, Arms Funding

Abuja, Nigeria– The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced an Ansaru terrorist leader, Mahmud Usman, to 15 years in prison.

Usman was found guilty of engaging in illegal mining of California stones without lawful authority, with proceeds reportedly channeled into the purchase of arms and ammunition for terror activities.

Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the 15-year jail term and ordered that Usman be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

On August 16, 2025, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, announced that security forces had achieved a major breakthrough with the capture of two senior leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Ribadu said the intelligence-driven operation, carried out between May and July, effectively crippled the leadership of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group and delivered “the most decisive blow against them.”

He explained that the operation was jointly executed by the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and other security partners. According to him, the offensive targeted Ansaru strongholds within and around Kainji National Park, spanning Niger and Kwara States, with links stretching into the Benin Republic.

Ribadu identified one of the captured leaders as Mahmud Muhammad Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar), who styled himself as the ‘Emir of Ansaru’. The second suspect, he said, is Mahmud al-Nigeri (also known as Malam Mamuda), Bara’a’s deputy and Chief of Staff.

He noted that both men had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for several years.