Nigeria’s security forces have arrested two senior commanders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda affiliate long linked to major terror operations across West Africa.

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu confirmed the arrests on Saturday during a briefing in Abuja. He said the operation was the result of months of coordinated intelligence work carried out between May and July 2025 in collaboration with multiple security agencies.

The men in custody are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, better known as Abu Bara’a, who styled himself as the “Emir of Ansaru,” and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, popularly called Mallam Mamuda.

According to Ribadu, Abu Bara managed a network of sleeper cells nationwide and financed terrorism through high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies. His deputy Mamuda, who once trained under foreign jihadist instructors in Libya, oversaw the “Mahmudawa” cell operating around Kainji National Park and bordering areas of Niger and Kwara States.

“These individuals have been on Nigeria’s most wanted list for years and are also internationally sought after,” Ribadu said. He noted that their capture dealt a severe blow to Ansaru’s central command structure.

The two men are alleged to have masterminded a series of notorious attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, and the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, a senior traditional ruler in Daura. They have also been linked to the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa and attacks on uranium facilities in Niger.

Ribadu stressed that their arrest represents a major milestone in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism campaign, adding that Ansaru maintained links with jihadist groups in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

He urged Nigerians to remain alert and support security agencies by providing timely intelligence to prevent future attacks.

With these arrests, authorities believe Ansaru’s ability to coordinate and fund terrorist activities has been significantly weakened.