The Federal Government says it has arrested two top Ansaru commanders in a major operation.
NSA Nuhu Ribadu confirmed the captures, describing the breakthrough as a blow to terrorism.
The Federal Government has announced the arrest of two senior commanders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda affiliate operating in Nigeria, in what officials described as a major breakthrough in the fight against terrorism.
National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed the arrests on Saturday, August 16, 2025, during a press briefing at his office in Abuja. He said the suspects were captured following a months-long, intelligence-led counterterrorism operation carried out between May and July in collaboration with multiple security agencies.
Those arrested are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar, who is identified as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.
Ribadu explained that Abu Bara oversaw Ansaru’s sleeper cells across Nigeria and orchestrated major kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance the group’s operations. His deputy, Mamuda, commanded the “Mahmudawa” cell operating around Kainji National Park, with influence stretching from Niger and Kwara States into neighboring Benin Republic. Ribadu added that Mamuda had trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from North Africa, specializing in weapons handling and improvised explosive device (IED) fabrication.
“These men have been behind multiple terrorist operations in Nigeria,” Ribadu stated. “Abu Bara’a was a key figure in the 2022 Kuje prison break, and together they were implicated in the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, as well as the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.”
The NSA further revealed that the suspects were also involved in cross-border terrorist activities, maintaining active ties with jihadist networks in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. For years, the two terror leaders were listed among Nigeria’s most-wanted fugitives and were also flagged internationally, underscoring the global concern over their activities.
Ribadu said the operation not only resulted in their capture but also dealt a severe blow to Ansaru’s central command structure. Security forces recovered key materials and digital evidence, which are now undergoing forensic analysis to strengthen ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
According to Ribadu, the successful operation “has effectively dismantled Ansaru’s command structure and set the stage for the eventual eradication of the group’s networks across Nigeria.”. “The intelligence gathered will aid in bringing the perpetrators to justice and disrupting their foreign collaborators.”
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, stressing that citizens play a vital role in sustaining the country’s counterterrorism gains.
