By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
Nigeria has recorded a significant breakthrough in the war against terrorism with the capture of two leaders of the terrorist group known as ANSARU.
At a press briefing on Saturday evening, the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said the two terrorists who have been on the wanted list of Nigeria, the US, UK and UN were captured in an operation which was conducted between May and July 2025.
He said the men were captured in a high-risk, intelligence-led, counter-terrorism operation which led to the capture of the men, both leaders of of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as ANSARU, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate.
Ribadu said the two men have been responsible for masterminding many terrorist attacks against Nigeria over the past years.
According to Ribadu, “The first is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of ANSARU. He is the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria. He is also the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism over the years.
“The second is Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda), Abu Bara’s proclaimed Chief of Staff and Deputy. He is the leader of the so-called “Mahmudawa” cell hiding out in and around the Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States up to Benin Republic. Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years. They jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure. Their operations include the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on the Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, and the May 1, 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura). They were also behind the abduction of the Emir of Wawa and they maintain active links with terrorist groups across the Maghreb, particularly in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
“The two men, who are wanted internationally, are currently in custody”.
Speaking on the implications of the feat achieved, the NSA said, “The capture of Abu Bara and Mallam Mamuda, the group’s leader and deputy commander, respectively, marks one of the most significant achievements to date in our ongoing effort to rid Nigeria of the threat of terrorism.
“The successful decapitation of the leadership of this dangerous franchise marks the most decisive blow against ANSARU since its inception. This strike has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the path for the complete annihilation of the group.”
The Ansaru group was first formed in January 2012 with a public declaration in Kano. It emerged as a splinter faction from Boko Haram, positioning itself as a “humane alternative.” However, its stated aim quickly turned to attacking Nigerian security operatives, civilian communities and government infrastructure.
The group publicly displayed the setting sun logo of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), signalling its ideological and operational alignment with global jihadist movements.
“Over the years, Ansaru entrenched itself in both urban sleeper cells and forest enclaves across several cities in northern Nigeria and in forest-based enclaves, particularly around Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States, as well as the Benin Republic,” Ribadu explained.
He also revealed that in the cours of the operation, the security forces captured and recovered valuable actionable intelligence, including a cache of materials and digital evidence which are all now undergoing forensic analysis.
“The findings from the analysis are expected to support our ongoing efforts to exploit this success, bring them to justice, and completely annihilate the residual of ANSARU networks and disrupt their foreign collaborators,” he said.
Speaking, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said what is being witnessed is possible the government of the President Tinubu has consistently insisted that Nigeria must indeed be free for all Nigerians.
“What you are witnessing is therefore
another indication of the
commitment of not just the president, but all those who are saddled with the responsibility to ensure that lives and property are protected in this country under the able leadership of national security adviser and all the service chiefs,” Idris said.
Commending their efforts, the minister said, “This indeed, is big news for all of us,” as he assured the media of the government’s commitment to partnering with them, admonishing them to refrain from glorifying the activities of terrorists who are enemies of the state.