The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake has welcomed the judgment sentencing Ansaru commander Mahmud Usman to 15 years in prison.
He described it as a significant win in the fight against illegal mining in the country.
The verdict, delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, also remanded Usman to face 31 additional charges.
This was disclosed by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Segun Tomori.
Dr. Alake commended the judiciary for backing the ministry’s efforts to eradicate illegal mining, saying the conviction proves bandits engage in illegal mining to fund their activities.
“It’s gratifying that the judiciary aligns with our zero-tolerance stance on illegal mining,” he said.
The Minister further said: “We’ll continue tightening the noose around illegal mining activities, with more measures to be announced soon.”
The Ministry will closely monitor the proceedings of the remaining terrorism cases involving other Ansaru commanders, emphasising the need for regulators to learn from these cases to strengthen their capacity to combat illegal mining.
The Minister lauded the Directorate of State Security Services (DSS) for monitoring, detecting, and arresting terrorists to face the wrath of the law.
“We shall increase inter-agency collaboration to raise the tempo of surveillance to rid our communities of illegal mining perpetrated by bandits,” Dr. Alake stated.
The Ansaru group, also known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, is a militant Islamist group.
Translated as the “Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa,” Ansaru was formed in 2012 as a splinter faction from Boko Haram.
The group has been linked to several terrorist attacks amongst which was the Kuje Prison Break in 2022, where they freed several inmates, including some of their own members and Niger Uranium Facility Attack.
Lateefah Ibrahim