The Federal High Court, Abuja, has sentenced to life imprisonment the commander of the Ansaru terror group, Abubakar Abba (a.k.a. Abu Bara’bagged), in the terrorism case brought against him by the Department of State Service (DSS). 

The DSS has, however, concluded plans to appeal Monday’s life sentences for the two top commanders, describing the sentence as too light a punishment for the crimes allegedly committed.

Reacting, a top official of the service told newsmen that they considered the life sentence as too light a punishment for the crimes allegedly committed by the Ansaru commanders.

The official said the service found it curious that both convicts were on the verge of pleading guilty to the charges, but changed their minds shortly after some persons believed to be members of the same organisation kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire LGA in Oyo State.

“For the nearly 60 days the kidnappers held on to the pupils and teachers of Oriire, the Ansaru commanders in our custody changed.

“One of the top conditions the abductors gave was the unconditional release of these same Ansaru commanders in exchange for the Oriire kidnap victims,” he said.
   
Abba was sentenced yesterday alongside his co-accused, Mahmud Usman (a.k.a. Isah Adam/Mahmud), after they pleaded guilty to the 32-count terrorism charges.
   
In a related development, Nigerian troops have announced the arrest of another foreign terrorist fighter identified as Musa Fashir, and a suspected illegal immigrant and collaborator, Mary Florence, 36, during an operation in Lassa, Dille General Area of Askira/Uba Local Council Area of Borno State.
   
The arrest of the 32-year-old Fashir, a Sudanese, on Sunday by troops of the 115 Task Force Battalion brings to five the number of foreign fighters so far intercepted in the North East in the past two weeks.
  
According to the Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), Capt. Mohammed Goni, preliminary intelligence indicates that the suspect has established links with terrorist elements.
   
Goni said the illegal immigrant, Florence, claimed to be from Ghana, adding that “the circumstances surrounding her presence in the area, as well as the authenticity of her claims, are currently under investigation.” 
   
In the judgment by Justice Emeka Nwite, the two convicts got life imprisonment in counts 30 and 31, and 20 years in the rest of the charges, with those other counts to commence from the date of their arrest in separate operations between May and July 2025. 
   
Their charges included terrorism and terrorism financing, kidnap for ransom, illegal mining, and fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), among others. They were equally accused of coordinating sleeper cells, attacks, and ties to groups in the Sahel/Maghreb.
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Usman had also pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of illegal mining for terrorism/arms funding, for which he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
   
Meanwhile, during the OPHK operations last week, a foreign spy, identified as Abubakar Mohammed Zen, was arrested at Mallam Fatori in Abadam Local Council Area of Borno State.
   
Also, three foreign terrorist facilitators, Abu Ishaq (Palestine-Arab assessed to be ISWAP’s overall trainer); Abu Thaiba (Moroccan Arab and medical doctor serving within the terrorist network); and another Arab whose identity is yet to be established, were apprehended earlier at Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Council Area of the state.
  
According to Goni, both the Sudanese and Ghanaian suspects were already in military custody, undergoing preliminary profiling and interrogation to establish their identities, determine the extent of their activities, and ascertain any possible link to terrorist or transnational criminal networks.
   
In the meantime, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yusuf Dingyadi, has commended the federal government’s deployment of advanced security technology and adoption of non-kinetic approaches as already yielding positive results in tackling insecurity in the North-West states.
   
In a statement yesterday, Dingyadi said the renewed security strategy has led to a reduction in the recurring wave of banditry and other violent crimes in several vulnerable communities.
   
Describing insecurity as one of Nigeria’s most pressing challenges, he noted that the ongoing operations have focused on states worst affected by banditry, including Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi, Katsina and Sokoto, with authorities intensifying both military operations and non-military interventions to contain the threat.
   
However, Dingyadi lamented the activities of informants, whom he accused of aiding criminal elements and undermining security operations. He also criticised the politicisation of security issues, warning that such actions could weaken ongoing efforts to successfully combat terrorism and banditry.
   
Also, the Director of the National Education Summit, Prof. Adams Agahiu, has commended President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Armed Forces for the rescue of students and teachers abducted from Oriire schools in Oyo State.
   
He described the rescue operation as proof of the federal government’s resolve to combat terrorism and kidnapping across the country.
   
According to him, “the security forces refused to yield to the demands of the abductors. They were denied access to food, weapons and other forms of support, while some of their alleged informants were arrested, weakening their operations and leading to the release of the victims.”