The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced ISWAP commander Hussaini Ismaila, also known as Mai Tangaran, to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act, 2013.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Tuesday, finding Ismaila guilty of orchestrating coordinated attacks on multiple police formations in Kano State in 2012, including the Bompai Police Headquarters, Kabuga Mobile Police Base, Pharm Centre Station, and Angwa Uku Station.
Arrested in 2017, Ismaila’s trial was prolonged by interlocutory appeals and a trial-within-trial, but he changed his plea after the fifth prosecution witness testified.
He received 15 years on count one and 20 years on counts two to four, to run concurrently from his arrest date, August 31, 2017.
The court further ordered that he undergo rehabilitation and deradicalisation after completing his sentence.
Meanwhile, the terrorism trial of alleged Ansaru leaders Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba has been adjourned to January 15, 2026.
The duo faces a 32-count charge ranging from terrorism financing and arms procurement to kidnapping and illegal mining, linked to activities between 2015 and 2024.
Usman, who has already been sentenced to 15 years for illegal mining to fund terrorism, pleaded guilty only to an economic-crime count, while Abba maintained his innocence on all charges.
The DSS alleges they carried out training in weapons and explosives, bombed the Wawa Military Cantonment, kidnapped security personnel, and collected ransom payments used for arms acquisition and militant training in Mali and Sudan.
A defence request to transfer the defendants to a correctional centre was opposed by DSS counsel David Kaswe, with Justice Nwite directing that proper procedures be followed before the next hearing.
