DSS Arraigns Top Ansaru Commanders Over Terror-Related Offenses
The Department of State Services (DSS) has formally arraigned two senior figures of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The accused individuals are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a Abbas or Mukhtar, and his deputy, Mahmud Al-Nigeri, also referred to as Malam Mamuda.
They are facing a 32-count charge filed by the DSS, which includes allegations of terrorism, training in weapons and explosives, and orchestrating deadly attacks across Nigeria.
Among the charges, the duo is accused of coordinating a 2022 assault on the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, Niger State, which resulted in numerous casualties. Authorities also allege that they received specialized training in combat tactics, weapons handling, and the construction of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in foreign terrorist camps.
Specifically, Mamuda is said to have undergone advanced jihadist training in Libya between 2013 and 2015, under the supervision of foreign militants. Both suspects are also accused of receiving additional tactical training from a terrorist group in Mali.
Justice Emeka Nwite is presiding over the case at the Federal High Court.
Additional Allegations
The DSS claims that Usman and Mamuda were the masterminds behind the July 2022 attack on Kuje prison, which led to the escape of over 600 inmates. They are further implicated in a planned assault on a uranium facility in Niger State and a series of high-profile kidnappings, including the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp and the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, the Magajin Garin Daura.
They are also linked to several armed robberies.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu recently acknowledged their capture, describing it as a breakthrough in ongoing counterterrorism operations. Ribadu identified Usman as the “self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru” and the key figure behind various sleeper cells across the country, while Mamuda was his “chief of staff,” leading the “Mahmudawa” faction operating around Kainji National Park.
Ansaru, which broke away from Boko Haram in January 2012 in Kano, initially claimed to offer a more “humane” ideology but quickly adopted violent extremist tactics. Ribadu noted that the group aligned itself with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), using its logo and symbols, highlighting Ansaru’s links to the global jihadist movement.
He emphasized that their arrests have significantly weakened Ansaru’s leadership structure and brought Nigeria closer to neutralizing the group.
Related Arrest
In a separate case, the DSS also arraigned Huzaifa Haruna, who is accused of trafficking seven M-16 rifles. The weapons were allegedly transported from Dogo village in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, to one Wakili Julde in Wase.
