The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu has introduced that safety forces have arrested two prime Ansaru leaders in high-risk intelligence operations.
Ribadu named the arrested terror kingpins as Mahmud Muhammad Usman a.okay.a. Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri a.okay.a. Mallam Mamuda.
The NSA disclosed this on Saturday whereas briefing Journalists on the current successes recorded by Nigeria within the ongoing efforts to decisively rid the nation of terrorist {groups}.
He mentioned the 2 males have been on the wished listing of safety forces, including that they collectively spearheaded a number of assaults on civilians, safety forces, and demanding nationwide infrastructure.
“The 2 males, who’re wished internationally, are at present in custody, he introduced.
In making the announcement, the NSA mentioned, “At the moment, I’m glad to tell you that we’ve efficiently concluded a high-risk, intelligence-led, counter-terrorism operation which led to the seize of the highest management of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, generally often called ANSARU, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate”.
He mentioned Usman, the self-styled Emir of Ansaru is the coordinator of varied terrorist sleeper cells throughout Nigeria, and in addition the mastermind of a number of high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism over time.
For his half, the NSA mentioned al-Nigeri, Abu Bara’s proclaimed Chief of Workers and deputy, is the chief of the so-called “Mahmudawa” cell hiding out in and across the Kainji Nationwide Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States as much as Benin Republic.
He mentioned Mamuda educated in Libya between 2013 and 2015 underneath overseas jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons dealing with and IED fabrication.
Ribadu additional defined that the group was first fashioned in January 2012 with a public declaration in Kano.
The NSA mentioned the Ansaru group emerged as a splinter faction from Boko Haram, positioning itself as a “humane various.”
Nevertheless, based on the NSA, its acknowledged intention shortly turned to attacking Nigerian safety operatives, civilian communities and authorities infrastructure.
“The group publicly displayed the setting solar brand of Al-Qaeda within the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), signaling its ideological and operational alignment with world jihadist actions,” he mentioned.
Ribadu added that Ansaru had over time entrenched itself in each city sleeper cells and forest enclaves, throughout a number of cities in northern Nigeria and in forest-based enclaves notably round Kainji Nationwide Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States in addition to Benin Republic.
The NSA defined that the focused operation, carried out between Might and July 2025, led to the arest of the 2 prime terrorists famend for masterminding a number of terrorist assaults in opposition to Nigeria over the previous years.
In line with the NSA, a number of the operations of the group embrace the 2022 Kuje Jail jailbreak, the assault on the Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, and the Might 1, 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura).
“They have been additionally behind the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa they usually keep energetic hyperlinks with terrorist {groups} throughout the Maghreb, notably in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso,” he mentioned.
Minister of Info and Nationwide Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged the residents to assist the federal government to make the nation safer for {economic} development and improvement.
He additionally urged the media to not be swayed by terrorists’ propaganda, noting that terrorism drives on publicity.
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