Nigeria has recorded a significant breakthrough in its fight against terrorism following the arrest of two notorious leaders of the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru faction, officials confirmed on Saturday.
At a media briefing in Abuja, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, revealed that the arrests came after months of carefully coordinated intelligence operations.
The men captured were identified as Mahmud Muhammad Usman, widely known as Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda.
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Abu Bara’a, described as the “Emir of Ansaru,” is said to have overseen the group’s nationwide sleeper cells and directed key terror-related financing and kidnapping networks.
His deputy, Mamuda, led the fearsome “Mahmudawa” wing of Ansaru, which operated around Kainji National Park. Authorities disclosed that he received training in Libya under foreign jihadist trainers.
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and are also internationally sought terrorists,” Mr Ribadu said. “Their capture marks one of the most decisive blows against Ansaru since its emergence in 2012.”
Ansaru, officially named Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, split from Boko Haram in 2012 and rapidly earned infamy for violent attacks against civilians, security forces, and public infrastructure.
The group pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and has claimed responsibility for a string of high-profile operations.
These include the 2022 jailbreak at Kuje Prison in Abuja, the 2013 kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the 2019 abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa, and attacks on a uranium facility in Niger Republic, alongside other cross-border raids.
According to Ribadu, the capture of Abu Bara’a and Mamuda—executed between May and July 2025—effectively dismantled Ansaru’s central leadership structure.
He disclosed that weapons, documents, and digital materials recovered during the operation are currently under forensic review to uncover more details about the group’s network across Nigeria and the Sahel.
He attributed the success of the mission to the support of President Bola Tinubu and lauded the military, intelligence community, and other stakeholders for their synergy in executing the operation.
“The fall of Ansaru’s leadership signals the beginning of the end of impunity for terrorist leaders in Nigeria,” the NSA declared. “We will continue to pursue extremists with precision, resolve, and unwavering determination.”
Authorities further appealed to Nigerians to remain alert and continue providing security agencies with timely information, stressing that protecting the nation requires collective effort.
