BREAKING:Nigeria Captures Top Ansaru Leaders in Major Counter-Terrorism Breakthrough

Nigeria’s fight against terrorism recorded a major breakthrough with the capture of two of the world’s most wanted Ansaru leaders in a security operation hailed as one of the country’s biggest counter-terrorism successes in recent years. National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu confirmed that the arrests were the outcome of a painstaking intelligence-led mission carried out between May and July 2025.

The two men, Mahmud Muhammad Usman, widely known as Abu Bara’a, and his deputy Mahmud al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda, were picked up after months of surveillance. Abu Bara’a, described as the “Emir of Ansaru,” had been the brains behind the group’s sleeper cells across Nigeria, coordinating kidnappings, fundraising networks and links with foreign jihadist groups. His deputy, Mamuda, was notorious for commanding the ruthless “Mahmudawa” faction around Kainji National Park, and had previously received military training in Libya before returning to entrench Ansaru’s terror activities in Nigeria.

Ansaru, formally known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, broke away from Boko Haram in 2012 and pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for some of Nigeria’s most brazen atrocities, including high-profile kidnappings of foreign nationals, the murder of security officials, and its alleged role in the 2022 Kuje prison break which freed hundreds of inmates, including hardened terrorists.

The recent operation not only neutralized the group’s top leadership but also yielded a trove of intelligence materials, including documents and electronic devices, which are now being examined by forensic experts. Security officials believe the findings will unravel Ansaru’s wider network within Nigeria and its ties to other extremist factions operating across the Sahel.

Mallam Ribadu described the captures as “a turning point” in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and a clear signal that no insurgent leader is beyond the reach of the state. He credited the success to synergy among the nation’s intelligence and military services, as well as President Bola Tinubu’s backing of a more aggressive counter-terrorism strategy.

The arrests mark a significant setback for Ansaru, long regarded as one of the most sophisticated terrorist offshoots in West Africa. While the group has survived previous crackdowns, the fall of its emir and deputy within weeks of each other is expected to weaken its operational capacity. Security analysts, however, warn that remnants of the faction could attempt retaliatory strikes, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance.

For now, the capture of Abu Bara’a and Mamuda is being celebrated as a rare triumph in Nigeria’s prolonged war against insurgency, offering hope that the tide may finally be turning against extremist groups that have terrorized communities for over a decade.