SSS to Challenge Life Sentences for Terror Leaders, Wants Death Penalty

The State Security Service (SSS), also known as DSS, has announced plans to appeal the life sentences given to two top commanders of the Ansaru terror group. This decision came after a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced them on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Emeka Nwite sentenced the two men after they pleaded guilty to a 32-count terrorism charge. The judge made his ruling shortly after the convicts and their lawyer asked the court for mercy.

The convicts are Mahmud Usman, also called Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar, and Abubakar Abba, who is known as Mahmud al-Nigeri or Malam Mamuda. Abba is the deputy and chief of staff to Usman.

In response, a senior SSS official told journalists that they think the life sentence is too lenient for the serious crimes committed by the Ansaru leaders. The official expressed surprise that the two convicts, who were about to plead guilty, changed their minds after a kidnapping incident in Oriire LGA, Oyo State.

“For nearly 60 days, the kidnappers held the pupils and teachers from Oriire, and during that time, the Ansaru commanders changed their plea,” the official said.

He explained that one of the kidnappers' top demands was the unconditional release of the two Ansaru commanders in exchange for the victims from Oriire.

The official mentioned that the two men went from being undecided about their plea to eventually pleading guilty after the rescue of the Oriire victims. “Justice Nwite gave them a deadline to decide on their plea before Monday’s court session,” he said.

“After the Oriire rescue, they came to court and pleaded guilty to all the charges,” he added. The official went on to say that giving the two terror commanders life sentences would not deliver justice for the two Oriire teachers who were beheaded by their kidnappers.

He pointed out that the terrorists killed the two teachers to pressure the government into releasing the Ansaru commanders. “It wouldn’t be fair for these two men to get life sentences while the families of the beheaded teachers are left to suffer without justice,” he said.