Ansaru Terrorist Leaders Captured in Nigeria: NSA Ribadu Confirms Major Breakthrough

Ansaru Terrorist Leaders Captured in Nigeria: NSA Ribadu Confirms Major Breakthrough

By IDNN Defence & Security Desk

Nigeria has struck a significant blow against terrorism with the capture of two senior Ansaru terrorist leaders following a coordinated counter-terrorism operation.

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu disclosed the arrests during a press briefing in Abuja, describing the operation as intelligence-led and executed between May and July 2025 in partnership with multiple security agencies.

Those arrested include:

• Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar — the self-styled Emir of Ansaru.

• Mahmud al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda — Abu Bara’a’s deputy and chief of the so-called Mahmudawa cell.

  

Ribadu said Abu Bara’a orchestrated high-profile kidnappings and robberies to finance terrorism across Nigeria, while Mamuda led training camps near Kainji National Park and trained under foreign jihadist instructors in Libya between 2013 and 2015.

“The targeted operation led to the capture of two top Ansaru leaders responsible for masterminding several terrorist attacks against Nigeria over the past years,” Ribadu told reporters.

The men, wanted for years on both national and international watchlists, are linked to attacks including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Daura traditional leader Musa Umar Uba, and an assault on Niger’s uranium facility.

Ribadu added that their capture dismantles Ansaru’s central command structure and weakens its operational capacity across Nigeria and the Sahel. He called on citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements to authorities.

Security analysts say the arrests mark one of the most important victories in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism campaign since the decapitation of Boko Haram leadership a decade ago.

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