The federal government has recorded a major breakthrough in its war against terrorism with the capture of two of the country’s most-wanted terrorist leaders, bringing down the command structures of the dreaded Ansaru and Mahmuda networks.
At a press briefing on Saturday evening, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, announced that the leaders were apprehended during a series of high-risk, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations conducted between May and July 2025.
The men—Mahmud Muhammad Usman (alias Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (alias Mallam Mamuda)—had long been on the wanted list of Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations for their roles in spearheading attacks against civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure.
Ribadu described Abu Bara’a as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate, and coordinator of sleeper cells across the country. He was said to be behind a string of kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund terrorist operations.
His deputy, Mallam Mamuda, led the so-called “Mahmudawa” cell, with operational bases in and around Kainji National Park, extending into Niger, Kwara, and across the Benin Republic border. A veteran jihadist, he reportedly trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign instructors from North Africa, specializing in weapons handling and improvised explosive device (IED) fabrication.
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years,” Ribadu said. “They jointly masterminded multiple attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the assault on the Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, and the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura). They were also behind the abduction of the Emir of Wawa, and maintained active links with terrorist groups across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.”
Ribadu emphasized that their capture marks “one of the most significant achievements” in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism drive.
“The successful decapitation of Ansaru’s leadership has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the way for the complete annihilation of the group,” he declared.
Formed in January 2012 as a splinter faction from Boko Haram, Ansaru initially branded itself as a “humane alternative.” However, it quickly turned to attacking security operatives, government institutions, and civilian communities, openly aligning with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Over the years, the group entrenched itself in both urban sleeper cells and rural enclaves, with strongholds in forests around Kainji National Park and beyond.
The capture of Abu Bara’a and Mallam Mamuda is now seen as the most decisive blow against Ansaru since its inception, a development security experts say could significantly weaken jihadist operations in West Africa.