Two alleged commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, on Monday pleaded guilty to a 32-count charge bordering on terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, the manufacture of improvised explosive devices and other terrorism-related offences.
The defendants, also known as Mahmud Al-Nigeri and Abu Baraa, changed their plea from not guilty to guilty before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The defendants had informed the court at the previous adjourned sitting of their intention to change their plea.
At the resumed proceedings, they were re-arraigned on the amended charges and both admitted guilt to all the counts read to them.
The charges include alleged terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices, coordinating sleeper cells, planning attacks and maintaining links with terrorist groups operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.
The allegations remain those of the prosecution before the court.
At their initial arraignment, Mahmud Usman had pleaded guilty to a single count relating to illegal mining allegedly carried out to finance terrorism and procure arms.
He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on that count but denied the remaining 31 charges at the time.
His co-defendant, Abubakar Abba, had earlier pleaded not guilty to all the charges before both defendants changed their pleas during Monday’s proceedings.
Following the guilty pleas, prosecuting counsel, David Kwase, urged the court to convict the defendants on all 32 counts in accordance with Section 274(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
Counsel to the defendants, however, urged the court to take into account what he described as the defendants’ repentance.
He submitted that their decision to plead guilty was intended to demonstrate remorse and asked the court to consider that in its determination.
