A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to a 32-count charge bordering on terrorism and related offences.
Justice Emeka Nwite held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt following the defendants’ guilty plea and subsequently convicted them on all counts.
The convicts, Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Baraa, and Abubakar Abba, also known as Mahmud Al-Nigeri, were arrested during coordinated security operations by Nigerian security agencies. Following investigations, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation filed a 32-count charge against them for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities within and outside Nigeria.
The charges included terrorism, kidnapping, terrorism financing, illegal mining to finance terrorist operations, fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), coordinating terrorist sleeper cells, and maintaining links with terrorist groups operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.
During the proceedings, the defendants changed their earlier plea from not guilty to guilty. Justice Nwite ruled that the plea was entered voluntarily and in accordance with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Counsel to the defendants, Bala Dakup, told journalists after the proceedings that he had fully explained the legal implications of the guilty plea to his clients and that they understood the consequences of their decision.
Justice Nwite thereafter sentenced both men to life imprisonment on all 32 counts, bringing the terrorism trial to a close.
The prosecution team, however, declined to comment after the judgment.
Ubong Usoro for Nigeria Magazine
