Troops from the Joint Task Force, North East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), supported by the Air Component, have killed nine Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State, including two high commanders.
A credible military source informed the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the operations, which took place between August 21 and 22, foiled planned terrorist assaults on Bita and Wulgo.
The killed leaders were Abu Nazir, Munzir of Juye, and Abu Fatima, Munzir of Koloram.
“They were neutralised during a fierce gun battle at the Wulgo axis,” the source said.
The recovered materials include AK-47 guns, ammunition, and six motorcycles used by the militants.
The military high command congratulated the troops on their operational success and asked them to maintain the pace in the continuing counter-insurgency fight despite continuous hurdles.
This comes barely a week after the arrest of two leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria.
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.
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According to Ribadu, Abu Bara organised terrorist sleeper cells around Nigeria and orchestrated high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies to fund terrorism.
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.”
