The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced plans to appeal the life sentences imposed on two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, arguing that the punishment does not adequately reflect the gravity of their offences, particularly the killing of two teachers abducted during the Oriire school kidnapping in Oyo State.
The decision follows Monday’s judgment by the Federal High Court in Abuja, where Justice Emeka Nwite sentenced Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas and Mukhtar, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and Abubakar Abba, alias Mahmud al-Nigeri and Malam Mamuda, to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to all 32 terrorism-related charges brought against them.
A senior DSS official, who spoke on the development, said the Service considers the sentence too lenient in view of the nature of the crimes allegedly committed by the two convicts and intends to seek the maximum punishment available under the law.
The official disclosed that the Service observed a significant shift in the defendants’ legal strategy during the trial, claiming they abandoned their earlier not-guilty pleas only after the abduction of pupils and teachers from Oriire and the subsequent rescue operation.
According to the official, for nearly 60 days while the victims remained in captivity, the kidnappers allegedly demanded the unconditional release of the two Ansaru commanders as a condition for freeing the abductees.
He explained that at the penultimate court sitting, both defendants informed the court that they were undecided on the plea they would enter, prompting Justice Nwite to direct them to make a final decision before Monday’s proceedings.
“Following the successful rescue of the Oriire victims, the two defendants returned to court and pleaded guilty to all the charges,” the official said.
The DSS further argued that the execution of two teachers by the abductors was allegedly intended to pressure the government into releasing the Ansaru leaders, making the life sentence insufficient to deliver justice to the victims and their families.
According to the official, the Service believes the deaths of the teachers warrant the maximum penalty permissible under Nigerian law and will pursue an appeal to ensure what it described as appropriate justice for the victims.
