The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has confirmed the capture of two internationally wanted terrorists, leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate.
Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday evening, Ribadu revealed that the terrorists were apprehended in a high-risk, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation conducted between May and July 2025.
The captured men, both on the wanted lists of Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations, are identified as:
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Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, who coordinated various sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded high-profile kidnappings and robberies used to finance terrorism.
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Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda), Abu Bara’s deputy and leader of the “Mahmudawa” cell around Kainji National Park, with operational links extending into Niger Republic. He trained in Libya under foreign jihadists between 2013 and 2015, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.
Ribadu said the duo were behind multiple terrorist operations, including:
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The 2022 Kuje prison break
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The attack on the Niger uranium facility
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The 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina
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The 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura)
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The abduction of the Emir of Wawa
“The capture of Abu Bara and Mallam Mamuda, the group’s leader and deputy commander, marks one of the most significant achievements to date in our ongoing effort to rid Nigeria of terrorism. This decisive blow has effectively dismantled Ansaru’s central command and paves the way for the complete annihilation of the group,” Ribadu declared.
Founded in 2012 as a splinter from Boko Haram, Ansaru initially portrayed itself as a “humane alternative,” but soon entrenched itself in violent attacks against civilians, security forces, and government infrastructure. The group aligned with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), operating both urban sleeper cells and forest enclaves across Nigeria and into the Sahel.
The NSA assured Nigerians that the successful operation signals renewed momentum in the government’s determination to eradicate terrorist networks across the country.
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