Security operatives nab two most wanted Ansaru terrorists

Nigeria’s security forces have captured two of the country’s most wanted terrorists, identified as Ansaru leaders Abu Baraa and Mahmuda. The joint operation involved the military, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and other intelligence agencies.

National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, flanked by the Chief of Defence Staff, General C.G. Musa, Service Chiefs, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, DSS Director-General Oluwatosin Ajayi, senior security officials, and some members of the Federal Executive Council, announced the breakthrough at a world press briefing on Saturday at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in Abuja.

According to Ribadu, the arrested terrorists were behind the 2022 Kuje prison attack and several high-profile abductions across the North West and North Central regions.
“Today, I am pleased to inform Nigerians that our security forces have successfully executed a high-risk, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation,” he declared.

He explained that Abu Baraa, a key coordinator of Ansaru sleeper cells nationwide, was the mastermind of multiple kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism. His deputy, Mahmuda, was trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 by foreign jihadists from North Africa, specializing in weapons and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Together, the duo directed several terrorist operations, including the abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013, the kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba in 2019, and the seizure of the Emir of Wawa. They were also linked to Ansaru’s regional networks in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

Ribadu stressed that their capture represents a major turning point in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism war, saying it has “dismantled Ansaru’s central command structure and signals the beginning of the end for terrorist leaders operating with impunity in Nigeria.”

He revealed that security forces also seized critical materials and digital devices during the operation, which are undergoing forensic analysis to generate new intelligence against remaining Ansaru cells and foreign collaborators.

“This operation is a clear demonstration of Nigeria’s improving counter-terrorism capacity,” Ribadu said, noting it was the result of months of surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking, backed by inter-agency coordination.

The NSA commended President Bola Tinubu for providing strategic leadership, while also praising the military and security agencies for their resilience. He assured Nigerians that the momentum will be sustained.
“Nigeria will continue to go after extremists with precision, resolve, and unwavering determination,” he said, urging citizens to stay vigilant and share timely information with security agencies.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also hailed the operation, calling on the media to deny terrorists any platform for propaganda.
“It is our collective duty to ensure Nigeria becomes safe again,” he added.