FACT CHECK: No, Ansaru Leader Was Not Jailed for “Mining Californium” Yorùbá Times Uncovers Propaganda Plot

By Ademola Adekusibe, Yorùbá Times
Lagos, Nigeria

September 11, 2025

The Yorùbá Times has fact-checked a viral report claiming that a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced an Ansaru leader, Mahmud Usman, to 15 years imprisonment for “illegally extracting Californium minerals.”

After thorough checks, we can confirm the story is false and scientifically impossible.

What the Viral Report Claimed

According to the circulating story, Usman pleaded guilty to mining Californium, a mineral allegedly used to finance weapons purchases, and was sentenced by Justice Emeka Nwite. The federal government was also said to have sought life imprisonment.

The Science: Californium Cannot Be Mined

Yorùbá Times investigation reveals a glaring flaw. Californium is not a natural mineral. It is a synthetic, man-made element discovered in 1950, produced only in advanced nuclear reactors.

It does not exist in the Earth’s crust. No country, not even the United States or Russia, “mines” Californium.

This means the supposed crime of “Californium mining” is a physical impossibility.

Why the Fake Story Matters

This is not just a careless error. It appears to be propaganda. By inserting a fantastical element like Californium into a court story, those behind it attempt to rebrand Ansaru as resource criminals instead of religious extremists.

This narrative laundering makes them appear less ideological and more relatable, diverting attention from their bloody track record of kidnappings, killings, and destabilization.

One security observer told Yorùbá Times:

“This is not misinformation by accident. It is strategic propaganda designed to confuse Nigerians and soften the image of a deadly terrorist group.”

Why Yorùbás Must Pay Attention

For Yorùbá land, which has long been at the receiving end of insecurity and narrative warfare, the danger is clear. If terrorists can be rebranded as “illegal miners,” the true threat they pose to Yoruba communities and Nigeria at large gets blurred. That weakens the fight against extremism.

Yorùbá Times Verdict
• The Claim: Ansaru leader jailed for “Californium mining.”
• The Truth: Californium does not exist in nature. It cannot be mined.
• The Conclusion: The story is fake and functions as propaganda to mislead Nigerians.

The Yorùbá Times urges citizens to remain vigilant. In today’s Nigeria, propaganda can be as dangerous as the gun.