US hails arrest of Ansaru leaders, commends Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts
By: Zagazola Makama
The United States has commended the Federal Government and security agencies for the arrest of two leaders of Ansaru, a terror group linked to al-Qaeda.
In a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria described the arrests as “a significant step forward in the country’s fight against terrorism and extremism.”
“We commend the Nigerian government and security forces on the successful arrest of wanted Ansaru leaders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda). This is a significant step forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism,” the mission said.
Last week, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, announced the capture of the duo after a series of intelligence-led operations conducted between May and July.
Ribadu explained that Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a and self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, coordinated terror sleeper cells across the country and masterminded kidnappings and robberies to fund the group’s operations.
He linked the suspects to several high-profile incidents, including the 2022 Kuje prison break in Abuja that freed dozens of Boko Haram inmates.
The NSA also recalled that the pair were implicated in the 2013 attack on a uranium facility in Niger Republic, the kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the 2019 abduction of Musa Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, and the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa in Niger State.
According to him, the operations that led to their arrest also dismantled Ansaru’s central command structure, with digital and material intelligence recovered from the raids now under analysis.
