Former Kaduna-Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has described the arrest of two top leaders of Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda-linked terror group as a decisive step in the nation’s war against extremism.
In a post on his X handle at the weekend, Sani commended the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribaɗu, and security forces for the feat, stressing that it would send a strong message to extremist networks.
“The recent arrest of high-profile terrorist leaders in Northern Nigeria, as revealed by the NSA Ribaɗu, is a significant step in the fight against terrorism. They kidnap, they kill, they are deranged, they are delusional in their dreams of a theocracy through bloodshed, and above all, they live by the sword. Their arrest sends a strong signal to violent extremist groups”,Sani wrote.
Other commentators and security analysts also hailed the development as one of the most decisive blows against Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as Ansaru, since the group splintered from Boko Haram in 2012.
Recall that Ribaɗu, announcing the breakthrough in Abuja, disclosed that the suspects, Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, popularly called Malam Mamuda, were apprehended between May and July 2025 in what he described as “a high-risk, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation.”
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years. They jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure”, Ribaɗu said during a press briefing at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, (NCTC).
Abu Bara’a, identified as the self-styled ‘Emir of Ansaru’, coordinated sleeper cells across northern Nigeria and masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies to finance terrorism. His deputy, Mamuda, trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign terrorist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria. He specialised in explosives and guerrilla warfare before returning to lead the so-called ‘Mahmudawa’ cell based in and around Kainji National Park, spanning Niger, Kwara, and parts of Benin Republic.
The NSA linked the men directly to a string of violent operations, including the 2022 Kuje prison break in Abuja, the attack on a Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, and the 2019 kidnapping of Magajin-Garin Daura, Musa Umar Uba. They were also implicated in the abduction of the Emir of Wawa, in Niger State, and several cross-border raids in the Sahel region.
According to Ribaɗu, the arrests amounted to the “decapitation” of Ansaru’s leadership. He added that the two men, who were also wanted by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations, are in custody and undergoing interrogation.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also praised the security forces for the breakthrough. He assured citizens of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to making security a top priority.
“Security is everybody’s business. We appeal to citizens to remain vigilant, provide timely information, and support the ongoing fight. The media must continue to treat terrorists as criminals rather than giving them platforms of notoriety”, Idris said.
