*Seeks maximum penalty for murder of Oriire teachers
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to appeal the life sentences imposed on two senior commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group by a Federal High Court in Abuja, insisting that the punishment does not adequately reflect the gravity of their alleged crimes.
Justice Emeka Nwite, on Monday, sentenced Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas and Mukhtar, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and Abubakar Abba, also known as Mahmud al-Nigeri and Malam Mamuda, to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to all 32 counts preferred against them.
However, a senior DSS official said the Service considered the sentences too lenient and would challenge the judgment on appeal in pursuit of the maximum penalty.
