The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed multiple terrorism charges against two commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, an Al-Qaeda-linked organisation.
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According to NTA, Mahmud Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and Mahmud al-Nigeri (also known as Malam Mamuda), Bara’s deputy and chief of staff, were recently arrested during security operations. They are facing charges of leading the terror organisation, financing its activities, recruiting fighters, and coordinating violent attacks across Nigeria.
The DSS reportedly expedited its investigation to ensure speedy prosecution, in line with the directive of its Director-General, who emphasised professionalism, justice, and respect for human rights in handling terrorism cases. Their arraignment before the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected in the coming days.
Ansaru militants were linked to the July 2022 attack on Kuje Prison in Abuja, where over 600 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram suspects, escaped.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu had described the two arrested commanders as masterminds of the jailbreak.
Abu Bara has also been described as the coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund terrorism. His deputy, Malam Mamuda, was said to have trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fabrication.
The NSA further stated that the suspects were implicated in 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, noting that the suspects maintain networks across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
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