By Barth Ikiebe.
Nigeria’s security agencies, comprising the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other intelligence bodies, have arrested two high-profile Ansaru leaders, Abu Baraa and Mahmuda.
The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, announced this at a world press briefing on Saturday in Abuja, held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre.
He was accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa, the Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Director General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, top security officials, and members of the Federal Executive Council.
According to Ribadu, Abu Baraa and Mahmuda were behind the Kuje prison incident and several high-profile abductions in North West and North Central Nigeria.
“Today, I am glad to inform you that we have successfully concluded a high-risk, intelligence-led, counter-terrorism operation,” he said.
Both suspects had been on Nigeria’s wanted list for years. Abu Baraa was described as a coordinator of sleeper cells across Nigeria and a key planner of kidnappings used to fund terrorist activities.
His deputy, Mahmuda, reportedly trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign instructors, specialising in weapons handling and improvised devices.
The NSA noted that the duo played central roles in multiple attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on a Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura), and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.
They were also said to have links to Ansaru’s networks across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
Ribadu stressed that their arrest marks a significant milestone. “It has dismantled Ansaru’s central command structure and signals a turning point in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts,” he said.
He added that security forces also recovered valuable materials and digital evidence, which are currently under forensic analysis and expected to yield further actionable intelligence.
“This feat exemplifies Nigeria’s advancing counter-terrorism capabilities. It followed months of deep surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking, demonstrating enhanced sophistication and seamless inter-agency cooperation,” he said.
The NSA commended President Bola Tinubu for providing strategic guidance, while praising the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and other security services for their resilience. He assured Nigerians that the government would sustain the momentum, emphasising that the fight against terrorism is ongoing.
“Nigeria will continue to pursue extremists with precision, resolve, and determination,” Ribadu affirmed, while urging citizens to remain vigilant and share timely information with security agencies.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, also lauded the collaborative efforts of the security forces and urged the media to deny extremist groups any platform for propaganda.
“It is incumbent on all of us to work together so that Nigeria can be safe again,” Idris said.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
