DSS to Appeal Life Sentences for Ansaru Commanders, Seeks Harsher Punishment

The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to appeal the life sentences handed down on Monday to two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice Emeka Nwite sentenced Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara'a, Abbas and Mukhtar, who was identified as the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and Abubakar Abba, also known as Mahmud al-Nigeri and Malam Mamuda, after both men pleaded guilty to all 32 terrorism-related charges brought against them.

The charges included terrorism, terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other offences linked to terrorist operations.

The court imposed life imprisonment on the defendants for counts 30 and 31, while also sentencing them to 20 years' imprisonment on the remaining counts. Justice Nwite ordered that the prison terms on the other counts should take effect from the date of their arrest.

However, the DSS is reportedly dissatisfied with the judgment and intends to challenge the sentence, arguing that life imprisonment does not adequately reflect the gravity of the offences.

According to a senior DSS official, the agency found it noteworthy that the two defendants changed their decision to plead not guilty after the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire, Oyo State.

The official alleged that while the victims were in captivity for nearly 60 days, the kidnappers demanded the unconditional release of the two Ansaru commanders as a condition for freeing the hostages.

The official further claimed that the defendants had initially maintained their not-guilty plea before informing the court at a previous hearing that they were undecided. Justice Nwite subsequently directed them to make a final decision before Monday's proceedings, during which they eventually pleaded guilty to all charges.

The DSS also alleged that two teachers abducted during the Oriire incident were killed after the government refused to release the defendants, arguing that a life sentence does not adequately serve justice for the victims and their families.

Ansaru is an al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group that has been linked to several terrorist attacks, kidnappings and other violent crimes in Nigeria.