TOP ANSARU TERRORIST GROUP LEADERS ARRESTED

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By: Sefiu Ajape

The Federal Government on Saturday announced the arrest of two senior leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria, following a months-long counter-terrorism operation.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.

Ribadu explained that the intelligence-led operation, conducted between May and July 2025 in collaboration with security and intelligence agencies, led to the capture of Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, described as the self-styled Emir of ANSARU, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.

According to Ribadu, Abu Bara “is the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria” and masterminded several “high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism.”

He further noted that Mamuda, his deputy, headed the “Mahmudawa” cell around Kainji National Park and had trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors.

Ribadu said, “The targeted operation, which was conducted between May and July 2025, led to the capture of two top ANSARU leaders who have been responsible for masterminding several terrorist attacks against Nigeria over the past years. 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 the 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.”

The NSA revealed that the suspects had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and were also internationally wanted.

He linked them to several attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on Niger’s uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, and the 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,” Ribadu added.

He stressed that their capture dismantled Ansaru’s central command structure and marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.

“This strike has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the path for the complete annihilation of the group. Let me use this opportunity to inform the public that, in the course of the operation, our security forces captured and recovered valuable actionable intelligence.

“These include 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 remnants of ANSARU networks and disrupt their foreign collaborators,” Ribadu said.

He also urged citizens to remain vigilant and promptly share useful information with security agencies.