The Department of State Services (DSS) has brought charges against two high-ranking commanders of Ansaru, a designated terrorist organization.
The individuals in question are Mahmud Usman, also referred to as Abu Bara’a Abbas/Mukhtar, and his second-in-command, Mahmud Al-Nigeri, who is also known as Malam Mamuda.
The DSS has submitted a 32-count indictment against them at the Federal High Court located in Abuja.
The accused are alleged to have assaulted the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, Niger State, in 2022, resulting in significant casualties.
Additionally, they are purported to have undergone training in weaponry, combat strategies, and the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at terrorist training camps.
The suspects are further accused of receiving military tactics training from a terrorist group based in Mali.
Security personnel assert that Mamuda received training in Libya from 2013 to 2015 under the guidance of foreign jihadist instructors.
Justice Emeka Nwite is overseeing the arraignment proceedings of the suspects at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The DSS charges the commanders with orchestrating the Kuje prison attack in July 2022, which resulted in the escape of over 600 inmates.
They are also alleged to have plotted an attack on the Niger uranium facility and various kidnappings, including that of French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013.
Additional alleged offenses encompass the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, along with numerous armed robbery incidents.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu recently verified their apprehension during synchronized security operations.
He characterized Usman as the “self-styled Emir of Ansaru” and the coordinator of multiple terrorist sleeper cells throughout Nigeria.
Ribadu indicated that Mamuda acted as his “chief of staff,” directing the “Mahmudawa” cell in the vicinity of Kainji National Park.
Ansaru emerged in January 2012 in Kano as a breakaway faction from Boko Haram.
The group initially presented itself as a “humane alternative” but soon resorted to violent assaults.
Ribadu observed that Ansaru adopted the emblem of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), indicating connections to global jihadism.
He further stated that their apprehensions have “effectively dismantled” Ansaru’s central leadership and facilitated its downfall.
In a related matter, the DSS charged Huzaifa Haruna for allegedly transporting seven M-16 rifles in Plateau State.
He is accused of transferring the firearms from Dogo village in Barkin Ladi to an individual named Wakili Julde in Wase.
