The Department of State Services, DSS, says it will appeal the life imprisonment handed down to two convicted Ansaru terrorist commanders by a Federal High Court in Abuja, insisting the sentence does not reflect the gravity of their crimes.
The court had sentenced Mahmud Usman, alias Abu Bara’a, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and Abubakar Abba, alias Mahmud al-Nigeri, to life imprisonment after both men pleaded guilty to 32 terrorism-related charges.
However, according to a senior DSS official, the Service will seek the maximum penalty under the law.
The official argued that the convicts were central to the kidnapping of pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, where abductors allegedly demanded their release in exchange for the victims.
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The DSS also maintained that two teachers were beheaded during the ordeal in an attempt to pressure the government.
The Service said justice for the victims and their families requires a punishment stiffer than life imprisonment.
The appeal is expected to be filed at the appropriate appellate court in the coming days.
