Nigerian Government has announced that it has arrested Mahmud Muhammad, identified as the leader of the jihadist group commonly known as Ansaru for masterminding several high-profile attacks in the country.
The country’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, revealed the arrest at a special press briefing held at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Abuja on Saturday.
He also formally announced the arrest of Mahmuda terrorist group leader, Abubakar Abba, explaining that the arrests were made during a “targeted operation” conducted between May and July 2025, calling it a “significant breakthrough in the war against terrorism”.
“I am glad to inform you that we have successfully concluded a high-risk, intelligence-led, counter-terrorism operation which led to the capture of the top leadership of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as ANSARU, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate.
“The group was first formed in January 2012 with a public declaration in Kano. It emerged as a splinter faction from Boko Haram, positioning itself as a ‘humane alternative.’
“However, its stated aim quickly turned to attacking Nigerian security operatives, civilian communities and government infrastructure.
“The group publicly displayed the setting sun logo of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), signaling its ideological and operational alignment with global jihadist movements.
“Over the years, Ansaru entrenched itself in both urban sleeper cells and forest enclaves, across several cities in northern Nigeria and in forest-based enclaves, particularly around Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara states as well as Benin Republic.
“The targeted operation, which was conducted between May and July 2025, led to the capture of 2 top ANSARU leaders who have been responsible for masterminding several terrorist attacks against Nigeria over the past years.”
According Ribadu, the two terror group leaders have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years before they were finally nabbed.
Listing some of the atrocities they had committed, Ribadu disclosed that their operations include the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on the Niger uranium facility and the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina.
He also revealed that they were the ones that masterminded the kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura) on May 1, 2019
The NSA also noted that they were also behind the abduction of the Emir of Wawa, saying they maintain active links with terrorist groups across the Maghreb, particularly in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
“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 Benin Republic.
“Mahmuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specializing in weapons handling and IED fabrication,” he stated.
Ribadu noted that the successful decapitation of the leadership of this dangerous franchise marks the most decisive blow against Ansaru since its inception.
“This stride has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the path for the complete annihilation of the group. 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 annihilate the residual of ANSARU networks and disrupt their foreign collaborators.
“The fight is far from over, but the fall of Ansaru leadership represents a decisive step forward. I must appreciate the doggedness of the Armed Forces and all our intelligence and security agencies who all worked tirelessly and collaboratively to achieve this outcome,” the NSA said.
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