Oriire educators were decapitated in bid to secure freedom for detained Ansaru leaders, says DSS

The Department of State Services, DSS, has announced its intention to appeal the life sentences handed down to two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group, citing the punishment's inadequacy in relation to the severity of their crimes.

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For the DSS, the case extends beyond merely obtaining convictions, as the circumstances surrounding the defendants' guilty pleas and the killing of two teachers abducted during the Oriire school attack underscore the need for a more severe sentence in the interest of justice.

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A senior DSS official expressed the agency's stance after Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, and Abubakar Abba, also known as Mahmud al-Nigeri or Malam Mamuda, to life imprisonment following their guilty pleas to all 32 counts against them.

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The court's decision to impose life imprisonment on both men came immediately after they admitted guilt to all 32 counts brought against them by the Federal Government.

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According to the DSS official, the Service views the punishment as excessively lenient, considering the gravity of the crimes committed.

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The official noted that the terrorists beheaded the two Oriire teachers in an attempt to coerce the government into releasing the two Ansaru commanders, emphasizing the need for a more stringent sentence to ensure justice is served.

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The official explained that the defendants initially pleaded not guilty but later expressed uncertainty regarding their plea, prompting Justice Nwite to grant them until the next Monday's sitting to make a decision.

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The change in the defendants' position became significant as the Oriire abduction continued, with the Ansaru commanders in custody altering their stance over the nearly 60-day period.

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One of the key conditions set by the abductors was the unconditional release of the Ansaru commanders in exchange for the Oriire kidnap victims, highlighting the connection between the two cases.

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The DSS official stated that the defendants' plea changed from "not guilty" to undecided, and eventually to guilty, after the Oriire rescue, underscoring the complexity of the case.

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The DSS has stated its intention to petition the Court of Appeal to overturn the life sentences, arguing that the punishment does not adequately reflect the gravity of the deaths of the two Oriire teachers, whose captors sought the release of the convicted Ansaru commanders.