The Federal Government has announced the arrest of two top leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria, following a months-long counter-terrorism operation.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this at a press briefing held at the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja on Saturday.
Ribadu said the intelligence-led operation was carried out between May and July 2025 in collaboration with security and intelligence agencies.
Those arrested are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, identified as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.
Ribadu explained, “The first is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of ANSARU. He is the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria. He is also the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism over the years.
“The second is Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda), Abu Bara’s proclaimed Chief of Staff and Deputy. He is the leader of the so-called “Mahmudawa” cell hiding out in and around the Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States up to the Benin Republic.
“Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.”
The NSA said the two men had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years, having jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure.
Ribadu said the suspects’ operations included the 2022 Kuje jailbreak, the attack on the Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, and the May 1, 2019, kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura).
“They were also behind the abduction of the Emir of Wawa, and they maintain active links with terrorist groups across the Maghreb, particularly in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. The two men, who are wanted internationally, are currently in custody.
“The capture of Abu Bara and Mallam Mamuda, the group’s leader and deputy commander, respectively, marks one of the most significant achievements to date in our ongoing effort to rid Nigeria of the threat of terrorism.
” The successful decapitation of the leadership of this dangerous franchise marks the most decisive blow against ANSARU since its inception,” Ribadu added.
Also present at the briefing are the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector General of Police, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation.
