Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has hailed the 15-year prison sentence given to Ansaru commander, Mahmud Usman, calling it a breakthrough in the fight against illegal mining.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered the judgment on Thursday. Usman will serve his term while also facing 31 other terrorism charges.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Segun Tomori (anipr, FSCA), Alake said the verdict proves that bandits depend on illegal mining for funds.
“I am pleased that the judiciary aligns with our zero-tolerance policy on illegal mining. We will soon roll out tougher measures to end these crimes,” the minister said.
Alake noted that his ministry will track terrorism trials of other Ansaru leaders. He stressed that lessons from the cases will help strengthen regulations against mining-related crimes.
The minister commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for the intelligence that led to Usman’s arrest and conviction. He promised stronger cooperation with other agencies to boost surveillance and flush out illegal miners.
Ansaru, short for Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa, has carried out several attacks. These include the 2022 raid on the Nigerian Army Wawa Cantonment and the Kuje Prison attack in Abuja.
Since 2024, the ministry has deployed Mining Marshals to fight illegal mining and secure the sector from criminal networks.
