Security operatives have arrested two top leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda affiliate operating in Nigeria.
Those apprehended are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, identified as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja on Saturday, noting that the suspects were captured after a months-long counter-terrorism operation.
According to Ribadu, the intelligence-led operation was conducted between May and July 2025 in collaboration with security and intelligence agencies. Abu Bara was said to have coordinated terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies to finance terrorism.
His deputy, Mamuda, reportedly led the “Mahmudawa” cell around Kainji National Park and received training in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specializing in weapons handling and IED fabrication.
Ribadu explained:
“The targeted operation, conducted between May and July 2025, led to the capture of two top Ansaru leaders responsible for several terrorist attacks against Nigeria. Abu Bara coordinated terrorist sleeper cells nationwide and masterminded kidnappings and robberies to fund terrorism. His deputy, Mamuda, served as his proclaimed Chief of Staff and led the Mahmudawa cell near Kainji National Park.”
The NSA added that the two men had long been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list and were also internationally wanted. They were allegedly behind 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 linked to the abduction of the Emir of Wawa, while maintaining active connections with terrorist groups across the Maghreb, including in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Ribadu noted that their arrest dismantled Ansaru’s central command structure and marked a major milestone in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts. He urged citizens to remain vigilant and provide timely intelligence to security agencies.
ADEOLA KUNLE
