The conviction of Ansaru terrorist group commander Mahmud Usman has been hailed by Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, as a significant win against illicit mining.
Segun Tomori, Alake’s Special Assistant on Media, made this claim in a statement released in Abuja on Sunday.
On September 11, the Federal High Court in Abuja found Usman guilty of illegal mining activities and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
Justice Emeka Nwite sentenced Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a/Abbas Mukhtar, to count 10 of the 32-count terrorism charge that was brought against him.
Abubakar Abba, also known as Isah Adam/Mahmud Al-Nigeri, his deputy commander, was also named in the lawsuit.
Usman and Abba were accused in count 10 of engaging in illegal mining between 2015 and 2025. They were accused of illegally mining valuable minerals like California stones and thunder stones.
Alake characterized the decision as proof that bandits use illegal mining to finance their operations, even as he praised the judiciary’s assistance in the fight against illegal mining.
The judiciary’s support for the ministry’s zero tolerance policy for illicit mining is encouraging.
“More severe measures will be announced soon, and the noose around mining illegalities continues to tighten,” he said.
In order to learn how to improve the fight against illicit mining, he added, the ministry would keep an eye on the 31 ongoing terrorism cases against Ansaru commanders.
In order to ensure that terrorists face the full force of the law, the minister also praised the Directorate of State Services for their diligent monitoring, detection, and arrest of terrorists.
“To rid our communities of illegal mining perpetrated by bandits, we will increase inter-agency collaboration to raise the tempo of surveillance,” he stated.
Recall that Alake and Senator Adams Oshiomhole had previously claimed that banditry was being sponsored by influential illegal miners.
Following a spike in illicit mining activity, Alake formed the Mining Marshals, a security unit derived from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, in 2024 to guard mining sites throughout the nation.
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