DSS Moves to Appeal Life Sentence for Ansaru Commanders, Demands Maximum Punishment

The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to challenge the life imprisonment handed down to two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, insisting that the punishment is inadequate considering the severity of the offences linked to them.

The decision follows the sentencing of Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, and Abubakar Abba, also known as Mahmud al-Nigeri or Malam Mamuda, by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice Emeka Nwite sentenced the two men to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to all 32 charges brought against them in connection with terrorism-related activities.

The DSS, however, is reportedly dissatisfied with the severity of the punishment and is preparing to approach the appellate court to seek a harsher sentence.

A senior official of the intelligence agency said the Service considered the life sentences insufficient in view of the alleged crimes committed by the two Ansaru commanders and the wider consequences of their activities.

The official also linked the DSS’s position to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where the kidnappers allegedly demanded the release of the two Ansaru commanders in exchange for the hostages.

According to the official, the positions of the two defendants regarding their pleas appeared to change during the period when the Oriire victims were being held captive.

The official alleged that the two men had initially pleaded not guilty before later indicating that they were undecided on the pleas they would enter. The court subsequently directed them to make a final decision.

Following the rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers, the two defendants reportedly returned to court and pleaded guilty to all 32 counts.

The DSS official argued that the alleged connection between the hostage crisis and the demand for the release of the Ansaru commanders made the case particularly significant.

The official further expressed concern over the killing of two teachers abducted in the Oriire incident, arguing that their deaths should not be overlooked in determining the appropriate punishment for terrorism-related offences.

The DSS reportedly believes that the two teachers were killed by their abductors as part of an attempt to pressure the government into releasing the Ansaru commanders.

The Service is therefore expected to ask the appellate court to review the sentences and impose the maximum punishment permissible under Nigerian law.

The move could lead to another round of legal proceedings in the high-profile terrorism case, as the DSS seeks a stiffer judicial response to the activities attributed to the two Ansaru leaders.

The convictions of the two men followed a lengthy prosecution involving 32 counts of terrorism-related offences, marking one of the major recent judicial actions against senior figures associated with the Ansaru terrorist organisation.