The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said on Saturday that security forces achieved a major breakthrough with the capture of two top leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group.
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Ribadu told newsmen in Abuja that the intelligence-led operation, conducted between May and July, decapitated the leadership of the Al-Qaeda-linked group and dealt “the most decisive blow against them.”
He said the operation was carried out in collaboration with the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and other security stakeholders.
Ribadu added that the operation targeted Ansaru enclaves in and around Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara states, with links extending into the Republic of Benin.
He identified one of the suspects as Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled “Emir of Ansaru.”
The second suspect was identified as Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Malam Mamuda), Abu Bara’s deputy and Chief of Staff.
He said both suspects had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years.
“Abu Bara was described as the coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund terrorism. His deputy, Malam Mamuda, was trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fabrication,” Ribadu said.
The NSA said the two leaders jointly spearheaded multiple terrorist attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break and the attack on a Niger uranium facility.
Other incidents included the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura), and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.
He added that they were also linked to Ansaru’s networks across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
According to him, the capture of Abu Bara and Mamuda marks a turning point.
“It has dismantled Ansaru’s central command structure and signals the beginning of the end of impunity for terrorist leaders in Nigeria,” Ribadu said.
He said security forces also recovered valuable materials and digital evidence during the operation, which are now undergoing forensic analysis.
“These are expected to generate further actionable intelligence against residual Ansaru cells and their foreign collaborators. This feat exemplifies Nigeria’s advancing counter-terrorism capabilities. It followed months of deep surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking, demonstrating enhanced sophistication and seamless inter-agency synergy,” he added.
The NSA commended President Bola Tinubu for providing strategic guidance, as well as the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and security services for their dedication in achieving the success.
He reassured Nigerians that the government would sustain the momentum, stressing that the fight against terrorism is far from over.
“Nigeria will continue to pursue extremists with precision, resolve, and unwavering determination,” he added.
He also called on citizens to remain vigilant and provide timely information to security agencies, noting that “national security is a shared responsibility.”
In his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, commended the military and other security forces for their collaborative efforts.
He also urged the media to continue denying terrorists the opportunity to use the press to propagate their agenda.
“It is incumbent on all of us to work collaboratively to ensure that Nigeria can be safe again,” he said.
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