The Federal Government of Nigeria has confirmed the arrest of two top Al-Qaeda leaders, dealing a major blow to terrorist networks in the country.
Those arrested are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, identified as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who disclosed this at a press briefing held at the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja, said the two arrested suspects were allegedly part of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria.
Ribadu also announced that the two top Al-Qaeda leaders were the alleged masterminds of the infamous July 2022 attack on the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, where 879 inmates escaped, including high-profile terrorists.
He said the arrest came after a coordinated effort involving collaboration between the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the Department of State Services (DSS), and other intelligence agencies.
Ribadu said: “The targeted operation, which was conducted between May and July 2025, led to the capture of two top ANSARU leaders who have been responsible for masterminding several terrorist attacks against Nigeria over the past years. The first is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of ANSARU.
“He is the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria. He is also the 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), Abu Bara’s proclaimed Chief of Staff and Deputy. He is the leader of the so-called “Mahmudawa” cell hiding out in and around the Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States up to the Benin Republic. Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.”
The NSA said the two men had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and were also internationally wanted.
“They were also behind the abduction of the Emir of Wawa, and they maintain active links with terrorist groups across the Maghreb, particularly in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. The two men, who are wanted internationally, are currently in custody, ” Ribadu added.
