By Abba Hamisu Sani
Africa-Press – Nigeria. The recent capture of the top leaders of one of the terrorist groups in Nigeria, Ansaru, is seen as a major victory against the lingering insecurity in the country.
This development, achieved during operations that took place between May and July 2025, represents a significant blow to the group’s operations and marks a turning point in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.
The two most wanted leaders captured are Muhmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and Muhmud al-Nigeri, known as Mallam Mamuda, who served as his Chief of Staff. Both men were on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and were also internationally wanted for their involvement in terrorist activities.
“The capture of Abu Bara and Malam Mamuda, the group’s leader and deputy commander respectively, marks one of the most significant achievements to date in our ongoing effort to rid Nigeria of the threat of terrorism,” the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, stated during a press briefing on Sunday, 17th August 2025.
He also described the operation as a decisive blow that has effectively dismantled the group’s command.
According to Ribadu, Abu Bara coordinated various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism.
Mallam Mamuda, who trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015, led a cell operating in and around Kainji National Park.
Established as a Faction of Boko Haram Before Aligning with Al-Qaeda
Ansaru, which means Vanguards for the Protection of Muslims in Black Lands, was formed in 2012 as a splinter faction of Boko Haram. It quickly aligned itself with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), expanding its influence through sleeper cells and forest enclaves across Northern Nigeria.
The captured leaders have been linked to a number of major attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, an attack on a uranium facility in the Niger Republic, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina State, and the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar, the Magajin Garin Daura.
The two men reportedly maintained active links with terrorist groups in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
A Milestone for Counter-Terrorism Effort
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, emphasized that this precision operation highlights Nigeria’s advanced counter-terrorism capabilities, which involved months of deep surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking.
He noted that valuable intelligence, including a cache of materials and digital evidence, was recovered during the operation. This evidence is currently undergoing forensic analysis to support ongoing efforts to completely neutralize the Ansaru network and disrupt its foreign collaborations.
“The capture of Abu Bara and Muhmuda signals the beginning of the end to impunity for terrorist leaders,” Ribadu stated.
He added that Nigeria will continue to pursue extremists with precision, resolve, and unwavering determination.
Nuhu Ribadu thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his strategic guidance and the doggedness of the Armed Forces and intelligence agencies that worked collaboratively to achieve this outcome. He also urged the public to remain vigilant and provide timely information to security agencies.
Mike Ejofor, a former Director of the State Security Service (SSS), said the capture of these leaders is a major breakthrough for our security service, because it means the coordinators are no longer there, so invariably the followers will not have that command and control anymore. The option left for them is to go away.
He stated this in an interview with Arise News recently.
“I must congratulate the security agencies, especially the State Security Service (SSS),” he added.
Fortunately, much is going on behind the scenes which the Director General of Security Services does not want to publicize, but I can tell you more work is going on.
“Most of this work is intelligence-driven, and if you know what it takes behind the scenes before these arrests, you will know more work is done in the background.
That brings me to the issue of professionalism of the service. My worry had been, before his assumption of duty, how do we survive? You know, because he is among the last of the origins (I normally call them the last of the origin) — people recruited before 1999 — and from 1999 you see they have been driven out in virtually all sectors, not only in the security services. But he has come now at a very good time to redirect the service, professionalize the service, and give it that face. He insists that his operations must be covered.
And I think the NSA is doing well in terms of coordination and collaboration, because one single agency cannot do it alone. Let us give them kudos on this effort,” Mike stated.
The Need to Rescue Zamfara and Katsina States
After the arrest of an Al-Qaeda affiliate, there is a need for security to intensify efforts in tackling the protracted insecurity in different parts of the country, especially in northern Nigeria.
Dr. Augustus Amobi, a public affairs analyst, described what happened in Zamfara and Katsina states recently as a source of concern.
In Zamfara State, more than 50 persons were recently killed by bandits in Kauran Namoda Local Government Area, a state that has suffered years of insecurity.
Also, in Katsina State, more than 30 persons were killed during an attack on worshipers at Unguwan Mantau Community in Malumfashi Local Government Area by assailants identified as bandits.
The analyst called on the National Security Adviser and all the security agencies to come up with more initiatives in order to rescue the affected communities across the country.
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