The two convicted terrorists changed their pleas on Monday before the judge handed down the verdict sentencing them to life imprisonment.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced two Ansaru commanders to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to 32 terrorism-related charges.
The convicts, Abubakar Abba (also known as Abu Bara'a) and Mahmud Usman (also known as Isah Adam and Mahmud), were prosecuted by the State Security Service (SSS) on behalf of the federal government.
Judge Emeka Nwite handed down the verdict after the convicts, who were captured last year by Nigerian security forces, changed their earlier "not-guilty" pleas to "guilty" on Monday.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
But Mr Dakum urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
He said his clients had accepted responsibility for their actions and were genuinely remorseful.
The lawyer said Mr Usman, who is 50 years old and has 19 children, suffers from arthritis and hopes to return to school if given another chance.
He also told the court that Mr Abba, 34, has a wife and three children, suffers from arthritis and is the family's breadwinner.
Mr Dakum further said the defendants claimed they were coerced into joining the terrorist group and that they were willing to assist security agencies with intelligence on terrorist networks, financing and operations.
He argued that punishment should not only serve as retribution but also as a means of rehabilitation.
Mr Usman also addressed the court on behalf of both convicts. He apologised for their actions and said they decided to plead guilty because they were remorseful and did not want to waste the court's time.
He appealed for mercy, citing his health condition and family responsibilities.
Judge Nwite convicted the defendants on all 32 counts.
In his judgment, the judge said he had considered the allocutus by the defence and the plea by the defendants. He, however, imposed life imprisonment on counts 30 and 31 and other prison terms on the remaining counts.
Plea for mercy
After the defendants' guilty plea, Mr Kaswe urged the court to convict them under Section 274 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015 governs the procedure and legal effect when a defendant enters a plea of guilty.
The prosecution lawyer said the defendants' guilty-plea was clear and unequivocal.
But Mr Dakum, the defence lawyer, urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
He said his clients had accepted responsibility for their actions and were genuinely remorseful.
The lawyer said Mr Usman, who is 50 years old and has 19 children, suffers from arthritis and hopes to return to school if given another chance.
He also told the court that Mr Abba, 34, has a wife and three children, suffers from arthritis and is the family's breadwinner.
Mr Dakum further said the defendants claimed they were coerced into joining the terrorist group and that they were willing to assist security agencies with intelligence on terrorist networks, financing and operations.
He argued that punishment should not only serve as retribution but also as a means of rehabilitation.
Mr Usman, one of the defendants, also spoke for himself and his co-defendant, apologising for their actions. He said they decided to plead guilty because they were remorseful and did not want to waste the court's time.
He appealed for mercy, citing his health condition and family responsibilities.
In his judgement, the judge convicted the defendants on all 32 counts. He said he considered the allocutus by the defence lawyer and the plea by Mr Usman. He, however, imposed life imprisonment on the two defendants for counts 30 and 31 and other prison terms on the remaining counts.
Charges
The defendants were charged with terrorism, terrorism financing, kidnapping for ransom, illegal mining, financing terrorism, manufacturing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and related offences.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The SSS alleged that they coordinated sleeper cells, orchestrated attacks and maintained links with Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist groups operating across the Sahel and Maghreb regions.
Counts 30 and 31, for which the defendants received life imprisonment, accused them of financing terrorism with proceeds from illegal mining and ransom payments collected from kidnapping victims between 2015 and 2025.
The prosecution alleged that the funds were used to procure arms and explosives.
The SSS also accused the defendants of involvement in several major terrorist attacks and kidnappings, including the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Musa Uba, the Magajin Garin Daura, and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.
The agency further alleged that the defendants participated in the 2022 attack on the Nigerian Army's Wawa Cantonment in Kainji, Niger State, and linked Ansaru militants to the July 2022 attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, during which more than 600 inmates escaped.
