BREAKING NEWS: ANSARU COMMANDERS PLEAD GUILTY TO TERRORISM, KIDNAPPING AND TERROR FINANCING CHARGES

ANSARU COMMANDERS PLEAD GUILTY TO TERRORISM, KIDNAPPING AND TERROR FINANCING CHARGES


Two suspected Ansaru commanders, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, have pleaded guilty to a 32-count charge bordering on terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and other related offences.

The defendants, also known as Mahmud Al-Nigeri and Abu Baraa, changed their pleas from not guilty to guilty before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The charges also include allegations of coordinating sleeper cells, planning terrorist attacks, and maintaining links with terrorist groups operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.

The defendants had earlier informed the court of their intention to change their pleas at the previous hearing.

At their initial arraignment, Mahmud Usman pleaded guilty to one count of illegal mining to finance terrorism and the procurement of arms. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on that count but pleaded not guilty to the remaining 31 charges.

Abubakar Abba had initially pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

During Monday's proceedings, both defendants were re-arraigned and formally entered guilty pleas to all 32 counts.

Following the guilty pleas, prosecuting counsel David Kwase urged the court to immediately convict the defendants on all counts in accordance with Section 274(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

Counsel to the defendants, however, appealed to the court to consider that the decision to change their pleas reflected repentance and should be taken into account during sentencing.

The court is expected to determine the appropriate sentence in line with the provisions of the law.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JUST IN: CDCFIB OPENS PORTAL FOR PHYSICAL SCREENING, DOCUMENT VERIFICATION FOR RECRUITMENT APPLICANTS

Image
CDCFIB OPENS PORTAL FOR PHYSICAL SCREENING, DOCUMENT VERIFICATION FOR RECRUITMENT APPLICANTS The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB) has officially announced the commencement of the next phase of its ongoing 2024/2025 recruitment exercise, calling on shortlisted applicants to prepare for physical screening and document verification. In an official statement released on Saturday by the Secretary of the Board, Maj.-Gen. Abdulmalik Jibril (Rtd.), the agency directed candidates who participated in the Computer-Based Test (CBT) held in November 2025 to check their application status through the official recruitment portal from June 15 to June 20, 2026. According to the Board, applicants are expected to visit the official recruitment website at https://recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng/⁠� and log in using the application number generated during the initial registration process. Successful candidates who progress to the next stage will be required to upload relev...
Read more

JUST IN: ODIGBO LG BOSS ORDERS IMMEDIATE CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS OVER SECURITY CONCERNS

Image
ODIGBO LG BOSS ORDERS IMMEDIATE CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS OVER SECURITY CONCERNS The Executive Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Otunba (Hon.) Taiwo Adegoroye, has ordered the immediate closure of all public and private schools within the council area following rising security concerns. The directive, announced on Tuesday, is expected to remain in effect until further notice as authorities intensify efforts to strengthen safety measures across the local government. According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Chairman on New Media, Comrade Olatunji Babatunde, the decision was taken as a precautionary measure to safeguard the lives and property of residents, particularly pupils, students, teachers, and other school personnel. Despite the closure order, the chairman clarified that candidates currently participating in national examinations would still be permitted access to their schools strictly for examination purposes. Hon. Adegoroye warned that any s...
Read more

AIYEDATIWA COMMISSIONS 10MVA TRANSFORMER, STUDENT HOSTELS IN ILE-OLUJI, SAYS INFRASTRUCTURE WILL DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH

Image
AIYEDATIWA COMMISSIONS 10MVA TRANSFORMER, STUDENT HOSTELS IN ILE-OLUJI, SAYS INFRASTRUCTURE WILL DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has commissioned a series of community-funded development projects in Ile-Oluji, headquarters of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area, describing the initiatives as strategic investments that will stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities and improve the quality of life for residents. The projects were inaugurated on Thursday as part of activities marking the 10th Coronation Anniversary of the Jegun of Ile-Oluji Kingdom, Oba (Dr.) Oluwole Olufaderin Adetimehin, Jimoko II. Among the projects commissioned were a fully installed 10MVA 33/11KV step-down transformer, two blocks of a proposed 40-room student hostel designed to serve students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji, and a modern farmers’ market. The projects were executed through community-driven efforts aimed at enhancing infrastructure a...
Read more