‎DSS to Appeal Life Sentences of Two Convicted Ansaru Terror Commanders

‎‎The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced plans to appeal the life imprisonment sentences handed down to two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, describing the punishment as inadequate given the gravity of their crimes.

‎‎Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas and Mukhtar, and Abubakar Abba, also known as Mahmud al-Nigeri and Malam Mamuda, to life imprisonment after both men pleaded guilty to a 32-count terrorism charge.

‎‎The two convicts, identified by security authorities as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru and his deputy/chief of staff respectively, pleaded for leniency through their counsel before the court delivered its judgment.

‎Reacting to the verdict, a senior DSS official said the agency considers the sentence too lenient and has resolved to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.

‎‎According to the official, the service observed a significant shift in the defendants’ legal strategy during the trial.

‎He alleged that while the suspects had initially maintained their innocence, they became undecided on their plea after the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State by suspected Ansaru members.

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‎The official claimed that during the nearly 60-day captivity of the victims, the kidnappers demanded the unconditional release of the two detained Ansaru commanders as one of the conditions for freeing the hostages.

‎He further stated that Justice Nwite had directed the defendants to make a final decision on their plea before Monday’s hearing. Following the rescue of the Oriire victims, both men returned to court and pleaded guilty to all 32 counts.

‎The DSS also linked the killing of two teachers during the abduction to the kidnappers’ demand for the release of the convicted commanders.

‎According to the official, the execution of the teachers was intended to pressure the government into releasing the suspects, arguing that a life sentence does not adequately reflect the severity of the offences or deliver justice to the victims and their families.

‎The service said it is pursuing an appeal in a bid to secure what it considers a more appropriate punishment under the law.

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