How Nigeria’s security forces tracked, cornered, and arrested two of the world’s most wanted terrorists has been revealed by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in what authorities described as one of the most decisive blows against the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru group since its emergence in 2012.
National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, said at a press briefing in Abuja on Saturday that the arrests of Mahmud Muhammad Usman, popularly known as Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda, were the result of a months-long, intelligence-driven operation carried out between May and July 2025.
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and are also internationally sought terrorists,” Ribadu stated. “Their capture marks one of the most decisive blows against Ansaru since its inception.”
Who they are
Abu Bara’a, described as the self-styled “Emir of Ansaru,” coordinated the group’s sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and terrorist financing operations.
His deputy, Mamuda, headed the “Mahmudawa” faction of Ansaru based in and around Kainji National Park. According to the NSA, Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specializing in weapons handling and IED fabrication.
“These men jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure,” Ribadu revealed. “They were behind the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on the Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.”
How the operation was executed
The NSA disclosed that the arrests were made possible through deep surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking carried out across northern Nigeria and border areas.
“The precision operation demonstrates enhanced sophistication and seamless inter-agency synergy,” Ribadu said. “In the course of the operation, caches of materials and digital evidence were recovered. These are undergoing forensic analysis and are expected to yield valuable intelligence on the group’s networks in Nigeria and the wider Sahel.”
Why it matters
Ansaru, formally known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, was formed in 2012 as a breakaway from Boko Haram. It aligned with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and quickly gained notoriety for cross-border terrorism, kidnappings, and infrastructure attacks.
By decapitating its leadership, Ribadu said, Nigeria has effectively dismantled Ansaru’s central command. “The capture of Abu Bara and Mamuda signals the beginning of the end of impunity for terrorist leaders. Nigeria will continue to pursue extremists with precision, resolve, and unwavering determination,” he stressed.
Commendation and call to action
The NSA credited President Bola Tinubu for providing strategic guidance and praised the Armed Forces, intelligence services, and security stakeholders for their “dogged collaboration” in achieving the operation.
He further urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and support security agencies with timely intelligence. “National security is a shared responsibility,” Ribadu noted. “The fall of Ansaru’s leadership is a decisive step forward, but the fight is far from over.”
