Nigeria’s Security Forces Strike Hard: Top Ansaru Terrorist Leaders, Including Abu Baraa, Captured in Daring Operation

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In a stunning blow to terrorism in Nigeria, security forces have apprehended two high-ranking leaders of the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru terrorist group, including the notorious Mahmud Muhammad Usman, alias Abu Baraa. The arrests, announced by National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu during a press briefing at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in Abuja on August 16, 2025, mark a pivotal victory in the nation’s ongoing battle against extremism.
Ribadu revealed that the intelligence-led operation, conducted between May and July 2025, targeted Ansaru enclaves around Kainji National Park, spanning Niger and Kwara States and extending into Benin Republic. The captured leaders, identified as Abu Baraa, the self-styled “Emir of Ansaru,” and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, alias Malam Mamuda, have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years. “This is the most decisive blow against Ansaru since its inception,” Ribadu declared, emphasizing the operation’s success in dismantling the group’s central command structure.
Abu Baraa, described as the mastermind behind numerous high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies to fund terrorism, coordinated sleeper cells across Nigeria. His deputy, Malam Mamuda, who trained in Libya from 2013 to 2015 under jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialized in weapons handling and improvised explosive device (IED) fabrication. The duo is linked to major attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura), and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa. They also maintained ties with terrorist networks in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
The operation, involving collaboration among the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and other security stakeholders, yielded valuable materials and digital evidence now undergoing forensic analysis. Ribadu noted that this evidence is expected to generate actionable intelligence to target remaining Ansaru cells and their international collaborators. “This feat exemplifies Nigeria’s advancing counter-terrorism capabilities,” he said, crediting months of surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was commended for his strategic guidance, with Ribadu praising the “doggedness” of security forces. The NSA urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and provide timely information, stressing that “national security is a shared responsibility.” Minister of Information Mohammed Idris, present at the briefing alongside service chiefs and intelligence heads, called on the media to avoid amplifying terrorist propaganda and to highlight the sacrifices of security operatives.
The arrests have sparked widespread reactions on social media, with X users hailing the breakthrough under hashtags like #Ansaru and #NuhuRibadu. Posts from accounts like @DeeOneAyekooto and @PulseNigeria247 celebrated the operation as a “major counter-terrorism victory,” while @Abdulfagge emphasized its significance in Nigeria’s fight against extremism.
As forensic analysis continues, the capture of Abu Baraa and Malam Mamuda signals a turning point, with Ribadu vowing to pursue extremists with “precision, resolve, and unwavering determination.” Nigerians await further developments as security forces work to dismantle Ansaru’s remaining networks.
Follow our coverage for updates on Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts and reactions from across the nation.