Hot Source*Ribadu attributes success of operation to months of deep surveillance, human intelligence
*Says feat signals beginning of end of impunity for terrorist leaders
*Information minister hails security forces, urges media not to yield front pages to terrorists
*Reiterates Tinubu’s commitment to security
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday announced major victories in the federal government’s war against terrorism, revealing that the military, in collaboration with operatives of intelligence and other security agencies, has captured two top leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as Ansaru, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate, in what he described as a high-risk, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation in the country.
Addressing a press conference at the headquarters of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), Ribadu identified the two senior ANSARU leaders as Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, who was identified as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has applauded the security forces for the remarkable feat, assuring the public of President Bola Tinubu’s determination to guarantee security across the country.
According to Ribadu, the two men had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and were also internationally wanted.
The NSA noted that the precision operation was the result of months of deep surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking, which showed enhanced sophistication and seamless inter-agency synergy.
He described the capture of the two men as the beginning of the end of impunity for terrorist leaders.
An elated Ribadu explained that the suspects were responsible for the 2022 Kuje prison break; the attack on Niger’s uranium facility; the 2013 abduction of French engineer, Francis Collomp, and the May 1, 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, the 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,” Ribadu added.
According to the NSA, the targeted operation was conducted between May and July 2025.
He stated that the capture of the group’s leader, Abu Bara and deputy commander, Mallam Mamuda, was one of the most significant achievements to date in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to rid the country of terrorism.
Ribadu also said the successful decapitation of the leadership of ANSARU represents the most decisive blow against the deadly group since its inception.
The NSA added that this achievement has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the way for the complete annihilation of the group.
Ribadu said that the self-styled Emir of Ansaru was responsible for masterminding several terrorist attacks against Nigeria in recent years.
He also disclosed that the terrorist leaders orchestrated numerous high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies, which were used to finance terrorism.
Ribadu disclosed that Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda, was Abu Bara’s proclaimed chief of staff and deputy.
“He is the leader of the so-called ‘Mahmudawa’ cell, hiding in and around the Kainji National Park, which straddles Niger and Kwara States and extends into the Republic of Benin. Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication,” he said.
Ribadu stated that the two men, who had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years, jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure.
Providing a historical background of the terror group, Ribadu said “the group was first formed in January 2012 with a public declaration in Kano. It emerged as a splinter faction from Boko Haram, positioning itself as a ‘humane alternative’. However, its stated mission quickly shifted to targeting Nigerian security operatives, civilian communities, and government infrastructure.
“The group publicly displayed the setting sun logo of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), signalling its ideological and operational alignment with global jihadist movements. Over the years, Ansaru entrenched itself through urban sleeper cells and forest-based enclaves across several cities in northern Nigeria, particularly around Kainji National Park, which spans Niger and Kwara States as well as the Republic of Benin.”
The NSA added that security forces recovered materials and digital evidence during the operation, which he said were undergoing forensic analysis.
“Let me use this opportunity to inform the public that, in the course of the operation, our security forces captured and recovered valuable actionable intelligence.
“These include a cache of materials and digital evidence which are all now undergoing forensic analysis. The findings from the analysis are expected to support our ongoing efforts to exploit this success, bring them to justice, and completely bring them to justice, and completely annihilate the remnants of ANSARU networks and disrupt their foreign collaborators,” the NSA said.
The NSA attributed the success of the operation to months of deep surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking.
Ribadu also described the capture of the two men as the beginning of the end of impunity for terrorist leaders, adding that the Nigerian government would continue to pursue extremists with precision, resolve, and unwavering determination.
Ribadu also called on citizens to remain vigilant and provide timely information to authorities.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris, applauded the security forces for the remarkable feat.
The minister assured the public of Tinubu’s determination to guarantee security across the federation.
While noting that security is everybody’s business, the minister appealed for public support in the ongoing fight against terrorism in the country.
He applauded the media for their continued support in the fight against violent extremism.
The minister also appealed to media professionals not to yield front pages to terrorists, but treat them as criminals that they are.
He also stressed that those being killed and abducted by terrorists are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and relatives of fellow citizens.
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