Dare Babalola
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu on Saturday announced that two top commanders of the terrorist group Ansaru, who were behind several high-profile attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break have been arrested.
Ribadu, at a press briefing, disclosed that the terrorists, identified as Mahmud Usman also known as Abu Bara’a and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri popularly known as Mallam Mamuda were arrested by the Nigerian military.
According to the NSA, the duo had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years. Their arrest followed what the NSA described as a “high-risk, intelligence-led” counter-terrorism operation that spanned multiple states and forest enclaves in northern Nigeria.
He said, “This marks one of the most significant achievements in our efforts to rid Nigeria of terrorism. The successful decapitation of the Ansaru leadership is a decisive blow to the group’s operations.”
Abu Bara’a, described as Ansaru’s self-styled “emir,” coordinated terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and financed operations through kidnappings and armed robberies.
Also, his deputy, Mamuda, who was trained by foreign jihadists in Libya, led a forest-based cell around Kainji National Park.
Both men were behind a string of deadly operations, including the 2022 Kuje Correctional Facility attack, the 2013 kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 abduction of Magajin Garin Daura, Musa Uba, attacks on uranium mines in Niger State, and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.
Security forces also recovered a trove of materials and digital evidence during the raid, which are now undergoing forensic analysis, Ribadu said.
Ansaru, a splinter group from Boko Haram, emerged in 2012 as a so-called “humane alternative” but quickly became aligned with global jihadist networks, particularly Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
The government said the dismantling of Ansaru’s command structure marks the beginning of the end for the group in Nigeria.
The NSA assured that the government will stop at nothing to eradicate terrorism in the country, urging citizens to remain vigilant.
He added, “We will continue to pursue extremists with precision, resolve, and unwavering determination.”
