Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has confirmed the arrest of two senior leaders of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group that splintered from Boko Haram in 2012.
The arrests, described as a major breakthrough in the country’s counter-terrorism efforts, followed a months-long intelligence-led operation conducted between May and July 2025.
According to Ribadu, the operation led to the capture of:
- Mahmud Muhammad Usman (Abu Bara’a) – the self-styled “Emir of Ansaru,” who coordinated sleeper cells nationwide and oversaw kidnappings and terrorist financing.
- Mahmud al-Nigeri (Mallam Mamuda) – Abu Bara’a’s deputy and head of the “Mahmudawa” faction based around Kainji National Park. He is believed to have received weapons and explosives training in Libya.
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years. Their capture dismantles Ansaru’s central command and represents one of our most decisive blows against terrorism,” Ribadu announced in Abuja on Saturday.
Ansaru, formally known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and has been linked to several high-profile attacks, including:
- The 2022 Kuje prison break in Abuja
- The 2013 kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina
- The 2019 abduction of Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba
- The abduction of the Emir of Wawa
- Cross-border attacks, including the deadly assault on a uranium facility in Niger
Security operatives also recovered caches of weapons, materials, and digital evidence, now undergoing forensic analysis to uncover further links across Nigeria and the Sahel.
Ribadu said the arrests send a strong signal that Nigeria will continue to pursue terrorist leaders relentlessly.
“The fall of Ansaru’s leadership marks the beginning of the end for the group. It is a decisive step forward in our fight against extremism,” he declared.
Both Abu Bara’a and Mamuda remain in custody and are expected to face prosecution.
