Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, says security forces have successfully arrested two top commanders of the Ansaru terrorist organisation.
Speaking at a security briefing held at his office in Abuja, Ribadu named the suspects as Abu Baraa, described as the group’s Amir, and Mahmuda, his deputy. Both men, according to him, played central roles in orchestrating major terror activities and high-profile kidnappings across the country.
The media event was attended by senior security chiefs, including the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation.
According to Ribadu, “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 added that the duo had been on Nigeria’s wanted list for years, citing their involvement in numerous deadly attacks targeting civilians, law enforcement, and vital installations.
Among their operations, Ribadu listed the 2022 Kuje prison break, the assault on the Niger uranium facility, the 2013 kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp, and the 2019 abduction 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.”
“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,” he said.
Ribadu emphasised that the arrests had “effectively dismantled” Ansaru’s top command, setting the stage for the group’s total collapse.
Formed in 2012 after splitting from Boko Haram, Ansaru initially attempted to present itself as a more “humane” alternative. But its activities soon turned violent, with repeated assaults on military personnel, civilians, and government assets.
The group openly displayed Al-Qaeda’s AQIM insignia, signalling its ideological alignment with global jihadist networks. Over the years, it established sleeper cells in cities across northern Nigeria while maintaining forest camps, especially around Kainji National Park and extending into neighbouring Benin Republic.
