Allowing the two terror commanders to walk away with life sentences will not serve the cause of justice for the two Oriire teachers beheaded by their abductors.”
The State Security Service (SSS) has announced plans to appeal the life imprisonment sentences handed to two senior Ansaru terrorist commanders, arguing that the punishment is inadequate given the gravity of their crimes.
The convicts, Mahmud Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbass, or Mukhar) and Abubakar Abba (also known as Mahmud al-Nigeri or Malam Mamuda), were arrested in a multi-agency intelligence operation carried out between May and July 2025.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu had described Usman as the “Emir” of Ansaru and the coordinator of the group’s sleeper cells across Nigeria, while Abba was identified as his deputy and leader of the “Mahmudawa” faction, which allegedly operated from the Kainji National Park area.
The two men initially denied the terrorism charges against them but later changed their pleas and admitted guilt, leading to their conviction and life imprisonment instead of a prolonged trial.
However, the SSS insists that life sentences do not reflect the severity of the offences.
According to the agency, the two commanders were allegedly central figures in terrorist activities, including kidnappings, killings and financing insurgent operations. The SSS also linked them to the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where two teachers were reportedly beheaded by their captors.
The agency argued that the kidnappers had demanded the release of the two Ansaru commanders in exchange for the victims’ freedom, adding that imposing only life imprisonment would not adequately serve justice for those who lost their lives.
The planned appeal has reignited debate over Nigeria’s use of the death penalty.
Although Nigerian law permits capital punishment for certain terrorism-related offences, executions are rarely carried out. Hundreds of inmates remain on death row, while governors seldom sign execution warrants.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have repeatedly called on Nigeria to suspend executions and move toward abolishing the death penalty, citing concerns over the criminal justice system and the risk of wrongful convictions.
If the Court of Appeal upholds the life sentences, it could reinforce the growing preference for life imprisonment in terrorism cases. However, if it substitutes the punishment with the death penalty, the ruling could set a significant legal precedent for future terrorism prosecutions, even though any death sentence would still require further legal and executive processes before it could be carried out.