LAGOS: Nigerian security forces have arrested two senior leaders of the Ansaru terror group responsible for a 2022 jailbreak near Abuja.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu confirmed the capture of Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Mahmud al-Nigeri during operations between May and July 2025.
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years,“ Ribadu stated during a press briefing in Abuja.
The duo allegedly led Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, an Al-Qaeda-linked faction that split from Boko Haram in 2012.
Authorities linked the suspects to the July 2022 assault on Kuje prison, where attackers used explosives to free hundreds of inmates near the presidential compound.
“They jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure,“ Ribadu added about the arrested commanders.
The operation marks a major success in Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts amid ongoing violence by jihadist groups and criminal gangs in northern regions.
Investigators connected Usman and al-Nigeri to ransom kidnappings that funded Ansaru’s operations across central and northwestern Nigeria.
The US designated Ansaru as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013 after the group executed seven foreign construction workers.
Ribadu described the arrests as “one of the most significant achievements” in Nigeria’s 15-year fight against extremist networks.
Ansaru initially opposed Boko Haram’s extreme tactics but later adopted similar violent methods, including prison raids and police station attacks.
Security analysts note the group retains operational bases in Kano despite sustained military pressure across Nigeria’s conflict zones. – AFP