Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has described the conviction of Ansaru commander Mahmud Usman as a significant breakthrough in the fight against illegal mining and its role in terrorism financing.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday sentenced Usman to 15 years in prison and ordered him remanded to face 31 additional terrorism-related charges.
In a statement, Alake praised the judiciary for reinforcing the federal government’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks exploiting Nigeria’s mineral resources. “This verdict has finally established that bandits engage in illegal mining to fund their operations. Further tightening of the noose around illegalities in mining continues as more drastic measures will be announced shortly,” he said.
The minister added that his ministry would closely follow the pending terrorism cases involving other Ansaru commanders, stressing that regulators must strengthen their capacity to combat illegal mining. He also commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for tracking and arresting the suspects, noting that inter-agency collaboration will be intensified to curb criminal activities in the sector.
Ansaru, known formally as Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa, has been linked to several high-profile attacks, including the 2022 Kuje Prison raid and an assault on the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment.
Alake recalled that in 2024, the federal government launched the Mining Marshals to secure the sector and cut off funding channels for terrorist groups through illicit mineral exploitation.
