Nigeria has scored a decisive victory in the war against terrorism with the arrest of two internationally wanted leaders of Ansaru and Mahmuda terror groups. The men, identified as Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeria, also called Mallam Mamuda, were captured in an intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation spanning May to July 2025.
Bayo Onanuga, presidential adviser on information and strategy, disclosed the breakthrough via his X handle on Saturday, citing details from National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu’s security briefing.
According to Ribadu, “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.”
Ribadu further explained that the second arrested figure, Mallam Mamuda, led the “Mahmudawa” cell entrenched around Kainji National Park, stretching into Niger, Kwara, and even into Benin Republic. Trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015, Mamuda specialized in explosives and weapons handling under foreign jihadist instructors.
The two men, wanted by Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations, were allegedly behind some of Nigeria’s deadliest terrorist attacks. These include the 2013 kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, the 2022 Kuje prison break, and several strikes on security forces and infrastructure.
“They were also behind the abduction of the Emir of Wawa and maintained links with terrorist groups across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso,” Ribadu noted.
okay.ng reports that Ribadu hailed the capture as the most decisive blow against Ansaru since its inception in 2012. He recalled that Ansaru broke away from Boko Haram in Kano as a so-called “humane alternative” but quickly resorted to targeted attacks on civilians, security operatives, and government institutions.
“This successful decapitation of the leadership of this dangerous franchise marks the most significant achievement in our effort to rid Nigeria of terrorism,” Ribadu declared.
