By Kolawole Omotola Olaide
Former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has defended the decision to seek the harshest punishment for two senior Ansaru commanders, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, who were recently sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism-related offences.
Speaking during an interview on TVC, Amachree argued that individuals responsible for acts of terrorism and the deaths of innocent Nigerians deserve the maximum penalty under the law. According to him, the two convicted men belonged to a terrorist network linked to numerous deadly attacks across the country.
Amachree alleged that the group became notorious for circulating a disturbing video on social media in which a teacher was brutally murdered. He also claimed that the same terrorist organisation carried out attacks that resulted in the deaths of several Nigerian military personnel, including senior officers and generals.
He maintained that the scale of violence allegedly committed by the group justifies the government’s determination to pursue the toughest legal consequences against those found guilty.
During the interview, Amachree stated that the terrorists had carried out repeated attacks on civilians and security personnel, stressing that their actions caused widespread fear and significant loss of lives.
The former DSS official’s comments come amid Nigeria’s continued efforts to combat terrorism and strengthen the prosecution of individuals accused of involvement in violent extremist activities across the country.
