A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Hussaini Ismaila, a commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), to 20 years imprisonment for terrorism-related offences.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Tuesday after Ismaila — popularly known as Mai Tangaran — changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on four charges brought under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.
Ismaila was accused of coordinating a series of deadly attacks on police facilities in Kano State in 2012. The targets included the Police Headquarters in Bompai, the Mobile Police Base on Kabuga Road, Pharm Centre Police Station, and Angwa Uku Police Station. Several people were reportedly injured during the attacks.
Authorities eventually arrested him on August 31, 2017, at Tsamiyya Babba Village in Gezawa LGA of Kano State.
The trial was protracted due to interlocutory appeals and a trial-within-trial to determine whether his confessional statements were voluntary. The Department of State Services (DSS) presented five witnesses, including operatives and eyewitnesses. After the fifth witness testified, Ismaila abruptly pleaded guilty.
His lawyer, P. B. Onijah of the Legal Aid Council, asked the court for leniency, stating that his client was remorseful and wanted to avoid further delays.
However, Justice Nwite convicted him on all four counts. He imposed a 15-year sentence for count one and 20 years each for counts two, three, and four. The sentences will run concurrently, and the effective date is backdated to August 31, 2017 — the day Ismaila was arrested.
The judge also ordered that Ismaila undergo rehabilitation and deradicalisation upon completion of his prison term.
Ansaru Leaders’ Trial Adjourned
In a related case, the trial of two alleged leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group — Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba — has been adjourned until January 15, 2026.
The DSS has filed a 32-count charge against the defendants, covering terrorism, kidnapping, terrorism financing, illegal mining, and procurement of weapons for activities carried out between 2015 and 2024.
Usman pleaded guilty only to Count 10, which involves an economic offence, but denied all other charges. He had previously been sentenced to 15 years for using proceeds from illegal mining to support terrorism and kidnapping operations. Abba pleaded not guilty across all counts.
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According to the prosecution, the two men were involved in bombing the Wawa Military Cantonment in Niger State, participating in weapons and explosives training, abducting security officials — including a Customs officer and an Immigration officer who was later killed — and collecting ransom payments running into millions. The funds allegedly supported arms purchases and training of fighters in Mali and Sudan.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, defence lawyer B. I. Bakum requested that the suspects be moved to a correctional facility to ease access for trial preparation. DSS counsel David Kaswe opposed the application, insisting that the defence must follow the established procedure.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to January 15, 2026 and directed the defence team to file the appropriate application.
