US Hails Nigeria Over Capture Of Ansaru Terrorist Leaders

The United States has praised Nigeria’s security forces for capturing two wanted leaders of the terrorist group Ansaru.

The arrests were described as a major step in the country’s ongoing fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

The US Mission in Nigeria confirmed on Monday that the men arrested are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda. Both men had been on the wanted lists of Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations.

According to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the arrests followed an intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation carried out between May and July 2025. The two men were identified as leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, widely known as Ansaru, which is linked to Al-Qaeda.

Usman, who styled himself as the Emir of Ansaru, was described as the coordinator of several terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria. He was linked to kidnappings, robberies, and other violent acts used to fund terrorist activities. His deputy, al-Nigeri, was reported to have trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors, specialising in explosives and weapons handling.

Both men are believed to have masterminded a series of deadly attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the assault on a uranium facility in Niger, and multiple high-profile kidnappings such as that of French engineer Francis Collomp in 2013 and the abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba in 2019. They were also tied to the abduction of the Emir of Wawa and maintained active links with extremist networks in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

Their capture is being described by Nigerian authorities as one of the most decisive blows against Ansaru since its formation in 2012. The group originally broke away from Boko Haram, presenting itself as a softer alternative, but later turned its focus to attacking security forces, civilians, and government infrastructure.

Over the years, Ansaru established sleeper cells in urban centres while also setting up bases in forests around Kainji National Park, extending into Niger and Kwara States and across the Benin Republic. Despite being less visible than Boko Haram or ISWAP, the group has been flagged by security analysts as rebuilding in forest enclaves across Kaduna, Katsina, and Niger States.

With the arrests of its top leaders, security officials believe Ansaru’s central command structure has been dismantled, raising hopes of further weakening the group’s operations in Nigeria and beyond.