NSA Confirms Capture of Top Ansaru Leaders During Major Counter-Tèrrorism Operation

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has announced the capture of two top leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda affiliate that splintered from Boko Haram in 2012.

The arrests, described as one of Nigeria’s most decisive counter-t+rrorism operations, were carried out between May and July 2025 in collaboration with the Armed Forces, intelligence services, and other security agencies.

Those captured include Mahmud Muhammad Usman (Abu Bara’a), Ansaru’s self-proclaimed “Emir” and coordinator of sleeper cells nationwide, and Mahmud al-Nigeri (Mallam Mamuda), his deputy and leader of the “Mahmudawa” faction. Both had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years.

Authorities link them to several high-profile att+cks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 k+napping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, the Emir of Wawa’s abd¥ction, and strikes on critical infrastructure.

The operation, centered around Ansaru’s forest enclaves near Kainji National Park, also recovered w+apons, materials, and digital evidence now under forensic review. Officials believe the intelligence will help dismantle remaining Ansaru cells and disrupt links to foreign terror networks in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

ONSA hailed the arrests as a “decisive blow” to Ansaru, saying the capture of Abu Bara’a and Mallam Mamuda marks the group’s most significant setback since its inception.