How Nigerian Forces Captured ‘Terrorist Leaders’ Abu Bara and Mallam Mamuda, Details Emerge

Nigeria has dealt a heavy blow to terrorists with the capture of “Ansaru leaders” Abu Bara and Mallam Mamuda.

The two notorious terrorists, wanted by Nigeria and international agencies, were arrested in a high-risk counter-terrorism operation that dismantled the group’s central command.

Nigeria has recorded a significant breakthrough in the war against terrorism with the capture of the leaders of Ansaru and Mahmuda, long wanted by Nigeria, the US, UK, and UN.

At a press briefing on Saturday evening, the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed that the terrorists were apprehended in an intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation carried out between May and July 2025. He described the arrest as one of the most decisive blows against terrorism in Nigeria.

DON’T MISS: Israel to Help Nigeria Fight Bandits, Boko Haram, and ISWAP Terrorists

According to Ribadu:

“The first is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of ANSARU… mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism over the years.

“The second is Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda)… leader of the so-called ‘Mahmudawa’ cell hiding out in and around the Kainji National Park… trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors… specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.”

The two men, wanted internationally for years, were behind several deadly operations including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on Niger’s uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura), and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.

Ribadu added:

“The capture of Abu Bara and Mallam Mamuda… marks one of the most significant achievements to date in our ongoing effort to rid Nigeria of the threat of terrorism. This strike has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the path for the complete annihilation of the group.”

The Ansaru faction, which split from Boko Haram in 2012, publicly pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda and embedded itself in both urban sleeper cells and forest enclaves across northern Nigeria and the Niger–Kwara–Benin Republic axis.