The Federal Government reported on Saturday the arrest of two leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria, believed to be behind the Kuje jailbreak.
Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, announced this during a press briefing at the National Security Adviser’s Office in Abuja.
Ribadu stated that the intelligence-led operation took place between May and July 2025, in coordination with security and intelligence organisations.
Those detained include Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.
According to Ribadu, Abu Bara organised terrorist sleeper cells around Nigeria and orchestrated high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies to fund terrorism.
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He further stated that his lieutenant, Mamuda, ran the “Mahmudawa” group near Kainji National Park and received training in Libya from international terrorist instructors between 2013 and 2015.
Ribadu said, “The targeted operation, which was conducted between May and July 2025, led to the capture of two top ANSARU leaders who have been responsible for masterminding several terrorist attacks against Nigeria over the past years. 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.”
According to the NSA, the two guys have been on Nigeria’s most wanted list for years and are also wanted abroad.
According to him, the suspects were involved in acts including the 2022 Kuje jailbreak, the attack on Niger’s uranium complex, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, and the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, 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, their arrest disrupted Ansaru’s central command structure and signified a key accomplishment in Nigeria’s anti-terrorism efforts.
He further stated that during the raid, security forces discovered items and digital data that are currently being forensically analysed.
According to the NSA, their capture disrupted Ansaru’s central command structure and marked a significant achievement in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.
He added that during the raid, security forces discovered things and digital data that are now being forensically examined.
“This strike has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the path for the complete annihilation of the group. 8. 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.
Ribadu also urged citizens to remain vigilant and provide timely information to authorities.
