Major breakthrough as forces arrest 2 wanted leaders of Ansaru terrorist group

Security forces have recorded a major breakthrough in counter-terrorism campaigns as two notorious leaders of the dreaded Ansaru terrorist group have been arrested.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, announced the arrest at a press briefing on security developments at the Office of the National Security Adviser on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector General of Police, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation also attended the briefing.

According to the NSA, the captured suspects, identified as Mahmud Muhammad Usman (the Amir) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (the deputy Amir), were responsible for masterminding several terrorist operations in Nigeria as well as high-profile kidnappings.

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“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,” he explained.

Ribadu disclosed that the two men had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years, having jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure.

He listed the suspects' operations to include the 2022 Kuje jailbreak, 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.

“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,” he added.

The NSA said the arrest had devastated the group's central command while paving the way for its complete annihilation.

The Anasaru group, which first emerged in January 2012 with a public declaration in Kano, is a splinter faction from Boko Haram, positioning itself as a “humane alternative.”

However, it quickly changed course to attacking Nigerian security operatives, civilian communities, and government infrastructure, Ribadu explained.

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The former EFCC chairman further stated that 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.

Ribadu stated that over the years, Ansaru entrenched itself in both urban sleeper cells and forest enclaves across several cities in Northern Nigeria and forest-based enclaves, particularly around Kainji National Park, operating in Niger and Kwara states, as well as the Benin Republic.