Nigeria has recorded a major breakthrough in its counter-terrorism efforts with the arrest of two senior leaders of Ansaru, the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group responsible for years of violent attacks in Nigeria and parts of the Sahel.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, announced the arrests in Abuja on Saturday, describing the operation as one of the most significant blows dealt against the group since its formation.

According to Ribadu, the operation — which spanned several weeks between May and July 2025 — led to the capture of Mahmud Muhammad Usman, widely known as Abu Bara’a, the self-styled “Emir of Ansaru,” and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda.

Investigations revealed that Abu Bara’a was responsible for coordinating Ansaru’s sleeper cells across Nigeria and directing terrorist financing schemes, while Mamuda commanded the group’s feared Mahmudawa faction, operating from forest enclaves around Kainji National Park. Security sources further disclosed that Mamuda received advanced training in weapons and explosives during his time in Libya under foreign jihadist instructors.

“These men have long been on Nigeria’s wanted list and are also subjects of international security alerts,” Ribadu said. “Their arrest represents a decisive milestone in the fight against Ansaru and global terrorism networks.”

Ansaru, formally known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, split from Boko Haram in 2012 before pledging allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Since then, the group has claimed responsibility for several high-profile crimes, including the 2022 Kuje prison break in Abuja, the 2013 kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 abduction of Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa, and even attacks outside Nigeria such as the raid on a Niger uranium site.

The NSA confirmed that large volumes of materials and digital evidence seized during the operation are now undergoing forensic analysis and are expected to expose more details about Ansaru’s domestic and foreign networks.

Ribadu commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing strategic support, while praising Nigeria’s armed forces, intelligence community, and law enforcement agencies for their coordinated efforts.

“The neutralization of Ansaru’s top leadership is a turning point,” Ribadu said. “It sends a clear message that terrorist leaders will no longer operate with impunity. Our forces will continue to pursue them with precision and resolve.”

He called on Nigerians to remain vigilant and to continue sharing credible information with security agencies, stressing that national security is a responsibility shared by all citizens.