The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a leader of the Ansaru terrorist group, Mahmud Usman, to 15 years in prison.
Usman was convicted on Thursday after pleading guilty to charges of illegally mining California stones without lawful authority.
The Department of State Services told the court that proceeds from the mining were channelled into the purchase of arms and ammunition for terrorist operations.
The suspects, including Usman, were also accused of attacking the Nigerian Army’s Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, Niger State, in 2022, an assault that resulted in mass casualties. Investigators said they had received training in weapons handling, war tactics, and the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from terrorist camps.
Two senior commanders linked to the group were further accused of undergoing advanced training in war tactics from a terrorist organisation based in Mali.