Nigeria has dealt a crushing blow to Ansaru, the Al-Qaeda affiliate in the country, with the capture of its self-styled emir, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda), after months of intelligence-led operations.
Zig Diaries
| Defence
Date: Saturday, 16 August 2025
Time: 18:00 WAT
Location: 📍 Abuja, Nigeria
The arrests mark the most significant disruption of Ansaru’s leadership since its formation in 2012, dismantling the command structure behind multiple high-profile terror attacks.
Briefing
journalists at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja, the National
Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed the arrests. He said the two
men had long topped Nigeria’s most-wanted list for their roles in the 2022 Kuje
prison break, major kidnappings for ransom, and cross-border terror networks.
Mamuda,
Ribadu revealed, trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist
instructors, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication. Together
with Abu Bara’a, he coordinated Ansaru’s operations across northern Nigeria,
especially around Kainji National Park, while maintaining links with extremist
groups in the Sahel.
“The capture
of Abu Bara’a and Mallam Mamuda marks the most decisive blow against Ansaru
since its inception,” ONSA stated, describing the success as proof of Nigeria’s
growing counter-terrorism capabilities and inter-agency synergy.
Security forces also seized weapons, digital devices, and other materials now under forensic analysis to track and dismantle Ansaru’s remaining cells and disrupt its external collaborators.
Formed in
2012 as a Boko Haram splinter group, Ansaru initially portrayed itself as a
“humane alternative” but soon turned to attacking civilians, security forces,
and infrastructure. Its 2013 declaration of allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the
Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) underscored its global jihadist ambitions.
The NSA
lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s support and praised the Armed Forces and
intelligence community for the breakthrough, assuring Nigerians that Ansaru’s
collapse signalled “the beginning of the end to impunity for terrorist
leaders.”
He urged the
public to remain vigilant and to provide timely intelligence as the security
forces pursue residual cells.
Also
speaking, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed
Idris, applauded the operation and stressed the Tinubu administration’s resolve
to protect lives and property.
Idris
cautioned the media against amplifying terrorist propaganda, warning that
sensationalising their activities emboldens criminals and undermines security
efforts.
“We must not
give prominence on our front pages or headlines to terrorist criminals who are
trying, day and night, to deny Nigerians peace,” Idris said. “Instead, we
should highlight the men and women working tirelessly to ensure Nigerians can
sleep safely in their homes.”
He noted
that security agencies were now working in greater unity under Ribadu’s
coordination, and urged Nigerians to see security as a collective
responsibility.
Fact-Check & Context
Ansaru split from Boko Haram in 2012, initially targeting foreign nationals before turning to large-scale kidnappings and attacks on security infrastructure.
Its 2022 Kuje prison break freed over 900 inmates, including key terror suspects.
The arrests of Abu Bara’a and Mamuda remove Ansaru’s top command for the first time in its history.
🏷️ Tags: Nigeria, Ansaru, Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism, Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, Security, Ribadu, Mohammed Idris, Tinubu
#ZigDiariesDefence #Nigeria #Security #Terrorism #CounterTerrorism #Ansaru
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