DSS Files Terrorism Charges Against Ansaru Commanders Over Kuje Prison Attack

The Department of State Services (DSS) has charged two high-ranking leaders of Ansaru, a terror network linked to Al-Qaeda, with terrorism-related offences following their capture in recent security operations.

Those facing trial are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a Abbas/Mukhtar, described as the Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy Mahmud Al-Nigeri, also called Malam Mamuda.

According to the DSS, the charges filed against them include directing the activities of a terrorist organisation, financing its operations, recruiting members, and coordinating violent attacks across the country. The two men have also been accused of playing a central role in the July 2022 assault on Kuje Prison, an incident that led to the escape of more than 600 inmates, including Boko Haram suspects.

The agency confirmed that their arraignment will soon take place before the Federal High Court in Abuja. This move comes three weeks after National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu publicly disclosed their arrest.

In his words, Ribadu said:

“The first is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of ANSARU. He is the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria. He is also the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism over the years.”

He further revealed details of the second suspect:

“The second is Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda), Abu Bara’s proclaimed Chief of Staff and Deputy. He is the leader of the so-called ‘Mahmudawa’ cell hiding out in and around the Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States up to the Benin Republic. Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.”

Ribadu emphasised that both men had long been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list, citing their involvement in multiple deadly assaults against civilians, security forces, and vital national infrastructure.