ABUJA — The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has hailed the conviction of Mahmud Usman, a commander of the Ansaru terrorist group, describing it as a landmark win in Nigeria’s battle against illegal mining.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Segun Tomori, Alake said the ruling underscored the link between terrorism and unlawful mining activities, stressing that bandits exploit mineral resources to bankroll their operations.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had on September 11 sentenced Usman — also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar — to 15 years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to one of the 32 terrorism charges brought against him. His deputy, Abubakar Abba, aka Isah Adam or Mahmud Al-Nigeri, was also implicated in the case.
According to count 10 of the charge, Usman and Abba were involved in illegal mining of precious stones, including thunder stones and California stones, between 2015 and 2025, without lawful authority.
Alake commended the judiciary’s stance, describing the verdict as “gratifying” and aligned with the ministry’s zero-tolerance approach.
“This judgment is proof that illegal mining is a major source of funding for terrorism. The judiciary’s support strengthens our resolve to choke bandits off their financial lifeline,” he said.
The minister added that the ministry would closely monitor the 31 other pending terrorism cases involving Ansaru commanders to build stronger strategies in combating illegal mining.
He also praised the Directorate of State Services (DSS) for its vigilance in detecting and apprehending offenders, while pledging deeper inter-agency collaboration to secure mining sites.
It would be recalled that Alake, alongside Senator Adams Oshiomhole, had previously accused powerful illegal miners of sponsoring banditry in Nigeria.
In 2024, Alake launched the Mining Marshals — a special security unit under the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps — to clamp down on the rising menace of illegal mining across the country.
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