• 17 Aug, 2025
• Levi Akaaunde
• No comment

High-Risk Operation Leads to Capture of Top Ansaru Leaders

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has announced a major success in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, revealing that two senior leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, have been captured in a high-risk, intelligence-led operation.

Speaking at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja, Ribadu identified the suspects as Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, alias Mallam Mamuda. Both men had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and were also internationally sought.

Ribadu said the operation, conducted between May and July 2025, was the result of months of surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking, demonstrating strong coordination among security agencies. He described the capture as “the beginning of the end of impunity for terrorist leaders.”

The NSA outlined the suspects’ involvement in major crimes, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on Niger’s uranium facility, and multiple high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies that financed terrorism. He noted that Mallam Mamuda led the “Mahmudawa” cell in and around Kainji National Park and had trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors.

Providing context on Ansaru, Ribadu explained that the group emerged in January 2012 as a splinter from Boko Haram, initially presenting itself as a “humane alternative” before shifting to attacks on security forces, civilians, and government infrastructure. Ansaru displayed the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb logo, signaling its alignment with global jihadist movements.

Ribadu added that security forces recovered materials and digital evidence during the operation, which are undergoing forensic analysis to aid ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, praised the security forces’ achievement and reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to national security. He also urged media professionals not to give terrorists undue prominence, emphasizing that victims of terrorism are fellow citizens.