DSS files terrorism charges against Ansaru leaders linked to Kuje prison break - Newstrends
Connect with us

metro

DSS files terrorism charges against Ansaru leaders linked to Kuje prison break

Published

on

Court sentences Ansaru leaders to life imprisonment over terrorism, kidnapping
Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Mahmud al-Nigeri

DSS files terrorism charges against Ansaru leaders linked to Kuje prison break

The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed multiple terrorism charges against two commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, an Al-Qaeda-linked group.

Mahmud Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of Ansaru; and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Malam Mamuda), Bara’s deputy and chief of staff, who were recently arrested during operations by security forces, are facing charges bordering on leading the terror organisation, financing its activities, recruiting fighters, and coordinating violent attacks across Nigeria, NTA reported.

The DSS is said to have expedited its investigation to ensure a speedy prosecution, in line with the directive of the agency’s director-general, who emphasised professionalism, justice, and respect for human rights in handling terrorism cases.

Their arraignment before the federal high court in Abuja is expected in the coming days.

READ ALSO:

In July 2022, Ansaru militants were linked to the attack on Kuje prison in Abuja, where over 600 inmates, including 64 Boko Haram suspects, escaped.

Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), had described the two arrested commanders as masterminds of the jailbreak.

Abu Bara was described as the coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund terrorism.

His deputy, Malam Mamuda, was said to have trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fabrication.

The NSA added that the suspects were also named in the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the 2019 kidnapping of Musa Uba (Magajin Garin Daura), and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.

Ribadu, who described their arrest as a turning point, said the suspects have networks across Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

DSS files terrorism charges against Ansaru leaders linked to Kuje prison break

Loading

metro

Three Homeless Men Shot Dead in Midnight Attack at Lagos Bus Stop

Published

on

Three Homeless Men Shot Dead in Midnight Attack at Lagos Bus Stop
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police Abimbola Adebisi
Three Homeless Men Shot Dead in Midnight Attack at Lagos Bus Stop

Three homeless men have been shot dead by unidentified assailants while sleeping at the Post Office Bus Stop on Adeola Odeku Street in the Victoria Island area of Lagos State.

The victims were reportedly among about 10 homeless persons who regularly sleep at the bus stop when two unidentified men riding power bikes arrived and attacked them.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning, November 1, 2026, triggering police investigations after a concerned resident alerted security operatives to the discovery of the bodies.

According to a report by PUNCH, a police source in the community said an anti-crime patrol team was immediately deployed to the scene following the report.

The officers reportedly found the three men lying lifeless in pools of blood and commenced preliminary investigations, including enquiries among residents and other members of the public.

A second source familiar with the incident disclosed that closed-circuit television footage from the area allegedly captured the attackers arriving on two power bikes, each carrying a white delivery-style box.

READ ALSO:

The suspects reportedly parked across the road before crossing to the bus stop, where the homeless persons were sleeping.

The CCTV footage allegedly showed the attackers inspecting the faces of some of the people at the location before approaching the victims and opening fire.

The assailants were also said to have inflicted machete wounds on different parts of the victims’ bodies during the attack.

One of the victims reportedly pleaded with the attackers to spare his life, appealing to them to resolve whatever differences they might have had peacefully. However, the assailants allegedly shot him dead.

The three victims were said to be relatively new faces at the location, having recently joined other homeless persons who regularly spend the night at the bus stop.

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said the bodies had been evacuated and deposited at the Lagos State Government’s Mainland Hospital, Yaba, for autopsy.

She added that preliminary investigations were ongoing to identify the deceased and trace their families, as well as establish the circumstances surrounding the killings.

The police spokesperson did not disclose whether any arrests had been made or establish a possible motive for the attack.

The incident has raised fresh concerns about the safety of vulnerable people sleeping in public spaces, particularly those without access to secure accommodation.

 

Three Homeless Men Shot Dead in Midnight Attack at Lagos Bus Stop

Continue Reading

metro

Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam

Published

on

Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam
Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted an 18-year-old man, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, for money laundering after he admitted obtaining $800 from a United States citizen through a fake $250 million lottery scheme.

Justice Dipeolu convicted Olamilekan on October 30, 2026, after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court imposed a fine of ₦200,000 and ordered him to pay an additional ₦1 million to the Federal Government, bringing his total financial obligation to ₦1.2 million. He is to remain in a correctional centre pending payment of the fine and the ordered amount.

The judge also directed the forfeiture of two mobile phones recovered in connection with the offence: an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71.

According to the EFCC, Olamilekan defrauded an American citizen, identified as Gary Brewer, through the Zangi messaging application, where he allegedly impersonated a woman named Julie Leach.

Investigators said the 18-year-old told Brewer that he had won a $250 million lottery prize but needed money to activate the winnings before he could collect the supposed prize.

READ ALSO:

The fabricated lottery story reportedly persuaded the American to send gift cards worth $800 through the messaging platform.

The EFCC said Olamilekan admitted selling the gift cards through the Cardsonic application, converting the proceeds into naira and transferring the money into his grandmother’s OPay account. He also admitted benefiting from the $800 obtained through the transaction.

The commission said the defendant operated several social media and messaging accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage, which investigators linked to his fraudulent activities.

The charge against him accused him of indirectly disguising the origin of $800 in gift cards, which represented proceeds of unlawful activity. The offence was brought under Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Following his guilty plea, an EFCC operative, Ebuka Abanga, presented the facts of the case before the court. Justice Dipeolu subsequently found him guilty and convicted him.

Olamilekan was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by EFCC operatives during a sting operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, on October 26, 2026.

The arrest was carried out by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, four days before his conviction.

The EFCC disclosed the conviction in a statement issued on Monday through its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, as part of its ongoing efforts to prosecute financial and cyber-related crimes.

Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam

Loading

Continue Reading

metro

Footballer Dies as Trailer Rams Car Into Bus on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Published

on

Footballer Dies as Trailer Rams Car Into Bus on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
Footballer Dies as Trailer Rams Car Into Bus on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

A footballer has died in a fatal multiple-vehicle crash along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State after a trailer allegedly rammed into the car conveying him and other members of his football academy.

The accident occurred on Monday, November 2, 2026, around the Magboro axis of the expressway in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The crash reportedly involved a Mercedes-Benz C300 and a commercial bus, with officials of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) and police officers confirming that one person died at the scene.

According to an eyewitness, the footballer and other members of his football academy were travelling in two vehicles to participate in a football match when the incident occurred.

The witness said a trailer suddenly crossed from the opposite side of the road and rammed into the Mercedes-Benz, forcing the car into a commercial bus.

READ ALSO:

The collision reportedly killed the footballer inside the Mercedes-Benz, while other occupants of the vehicles survived.

“We were going for a match. We just saw a trailer cross from the other side and hit this Benz, then it hit the bus. Only one person died in the car while the rest of us survived. Everyone in the bus is fine, too. The trailer driver fled with his vehicle afterwards,” the eyewitness said.

The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further alleged that the trailer driver fled the scene with the vehicle immediately after the collision.

The Mercedes-Benz, which had registration number SMK-878KX, was badly damaged in the accident, while efforts were reportedly made to evacuate its wreckage from the expressway.

The identity of the deceased footballer had not been established as of the time of reporting.

The circumstances surrounding the crash, including the alleged escape of the trailer driver, were expected to be investigated by the relevant authorities.

The incident adds to concerns over road safety on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a major route connecting Lagos and several communities in the South-West and other parts of the country.

 

Footballer Dies as Trailer Rams Car Into Bus on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Loading

Continue Reading

Trending