The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed terrorism charges against two senior commanders of Ansaru, an extremist group reportedly linked to Al-Qaeda, over their alleged role in violent attacks across Nigeria, including the 2022 Kuje prison break.

The suspects, identified as Mahmud Usman (aka Abu Bara’a Abbas/Mukhtar), described as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud Al-Nigeri (aka Malam Mamuda), were recently captured in coordinated security operations.

According to the DSS, the charges against them include leading a terrorist organisation, financing its activities, recruiting fighters, and plotting violent operations nationwide. They are accused of masterminding the July 2022 attack on Kuje prison in Abuja, during which more than 600 inmates—including high-profile Boko Haram suspects—escaped.

Read Also: Over 60 dead as dozens rescued in Niger boat tragedy 
Their arraignment at the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected soon, coming three weeks after National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu confirmed their arrest.

Ribadu said Usman, regarded as the coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria, was also behind several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund Ansaru’s activities.

He described Al-Nigeri as the leader of the so-called “Mahmudawa” cell, which operated around Kainji National Park, spanning Niger and Kwara states into Benin Republic. According to the NSA, Al-Nigeri trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and improvised explosive device (IED) fabrication.

Both men, Ribadu noted, had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and are believed to have jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure.