Two senior commanders of Ansaru, a proscribed terrorist organization, have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The suspects are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a Abbas/Mukhtar, and his deputy, Mahmud Al-Nigeri, also called Malam Mamuda.
The DSS filed a 32-count charge against them at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the service, the suspects allegedly attacked the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, Niger State, in 2022, causing mass casualties.
They also allegedly received training in weapons handling, war tactics, and improvised explosive device (IED) fabrication from terrorist camps.
The suspects are also accused of receiving training in war tactics from a terrorist organisation in Mali.
Security officials allege that Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors.
The DSS accuses the commanders of masterminding the July 2022 Kuje prison attack, which freed more than 600 inmates.
They also allegedly planned the Niger uranium facility attack and multiple kidnappings, including that of French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013.
Other alleged crimes include the 2019 abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, and several armed robberies.
Recall that the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu recently confirmed their arrest during coordinated security operations.
He described Usman as the “self-styled Emir of Ansaru” and coordinator of several terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria.
Ribadu said Mamuda served as his “chief of staff,” leading the “Mahmudawa” cell around Kainji National Park.
Ansaru emerged in January 2012 in Kano as a splinter faction from Boko Haram.
The group initially portrayed itself as a “humane alternative” but quickly turned to violent attacks.
Ribadu noted that Ansaru adopted the logo of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), showing global jihadist links.
He added that their arrests have “effectively dismantled” Ansaru’s central command and paved the way for its defeat.
In a related case, the DSS arraigned Huzaifa Haruna for allegedly transporting seven M-16 rifles in Plateau State.
He is accused of moving the weapons from Dogo village in Barkin Ladi to one Wakili Julde in Wase.
