DSS Appeals Life Sentences for Ansaru Convicts, Seeks Death Penalty for Terrorism Offences

The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced plans to appeal the life imprisonment sentences handed to three convicted members of the Ansaru terrorist group over their involvement in the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The agency said it was dissatisfied with the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, arguing that the punishment did not adequately reflect the severity of the crimes, particularly the alleged killing of two teachers during the attack.

Justice Salim Ibrahim had sentenced Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar, to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to terrorism-related offences filed against them by the DSS.

The convicts admitted to being members of Darul Salam, an affiliate of the proscribed Ansaru terrorist organisation, formally known as Jamā’atu Ansāril Muslimīna fī Bilādis Sūdān.

They also admitted concealing information about the planned abduction, acknowledging that the alleged masterminds of the attack — Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab — were their associates and that they failed to alert security agencies despite knowledge of the plot.

Umar further pleaded guilty to additional charges bordering on terrorist training, issuing operational instructions and using a WhatsApp group titled The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace to promote extremist ideology and encourage terrorist activities.

During the trial, a DSS operative identified as “Witness AA” told the court that the defendants made their confessional statements voluntarily in the presence of their lawyers. The court also admitted the DSS investigation report submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice as evidence.

While defence counsel A.A. Shetima pleaded for leniency, describing the convicts as first-time offenders with aged parents and dependants, the prosecution urged the court to impose the maximum punishment.

The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, argued that the abduction could have been prevented if the defendants had disclosed the information in their possession. He also informed the court that security personnel lost their lives during the rescue operation and urged the judge to impose a severe sentence as a deterrent.

However, Justice Ibrahim sentenced the three men to life imprisonment, ruling that they were liable for the offences to which they pleaded guilty.

Reacting to the judgment, the DSS said the convictions marked another achievement in the fight against terrorism but maintained that the sentences were insufficient.

The agency argued that the alleged beheading of two teachers during the attack amounted to a capital offence deserving of the death penalty under Nigerian law.

“The gravity of the offences committed and the loss of lives arising from the terrorist activities demand the maximum punishment provided by law,” the agency said.

The convicts were prosecuted on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information and facilitating terrorist activities under provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants knowingly withheld intelligence on terrorist operations, facilitated the abduction of students and teachers, and supported terrorist activities through communication platforms.

Justice Ibrahim sentenced the three men to life imprisonment on Count Six, while Umar received additional life sentences on Counts Seven, Nine and Ten relating to further terrorism offences.

The DSS said it would proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision, insisting that the nature of the offences warranted the maximum penalty.

The development comes shortly after another Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced two senior Ansaru commanders — Mahmud Muhammad Usman, popularly known as Abu Bara’a, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda — to life imprisonment for terrorism-related offences.