The United States has commended Nigeria’s security forces for the successful arrest of two notorious leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, describing the operation as a significant milestone in the country’s fight against terrorism.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed the arrests on Monday, saying the terrorists were captured in a series of “high-risk, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations” carried out between May and July 2025.
Those arrested are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri.
Ribadu disclosed that Usman coordinated sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies that funded the group’s violent activities.
His deputy, al-Nigeri, reportedly led the group’s feared “Mahmudawa” cell, which operates around Kainji National Park, an area that stretches across Niger and Kwara States into the Benin Republic.
The US Embassy in Nigeria, in a statement on its official X handle, praised the Nigerian government and security forces for what it described as a decisive breakthrough.
The Embassy wrote:“We commend the Nigerian government and security forces on the successful arrest of wanted #Ansaru leaders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda). This is a significant step forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism.”
Ansaru, officially known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, is a breakaway faction of Boko Haram.
The group is notorious for kidnappings of foreigners, attacks on security forces, and cross-border criminal operations.
The arrests come at a time when Nigeria is intensifying counter-terrorism efforts amid growing security threats across the North-West and North-Central regions..
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