The United States Mission in Nigeria has commended the Federal Government and Nigerian security forces for the successful arrest of two notorious leaders of the terror group, Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (Ansaru).
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Mission described the capture of Mahmud Muhammad Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (popularly called Mallam Mamuda) as “a significant step forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism.”
The commendation comes on the heels of the announcement by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, that the two high-profile terrorists were captured during a series of intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations conducted between May and July 2025.
Ribadu disclosed that Abu Bara’a, the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mallam Mamuda, had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and were also flagged internationally by the US, UK, and the United Nations for their roles in terrorism.
“These two men jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure,” Ribadu said, noting that their operations included the 2022 Kuje prison break, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, and the kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, in 2019.
Mamuda, who trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under jihadist instructors, was identified as the leader of the “Mahmudawa” cell operating around Kainji National Park and along the borders with Benin Republic.
According to the NSA, their arrest represents “the most decisive blow against Ansaru since its inception,” effectively dismantling its central command structure and paving the way for the group’s total defeat.
Ansaru, formed in 2012 as a splinter faction of Boko Haram, had long aligned itself with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). It entrenched itself through sleeper cells in urban centres and forest hideouts across northern Nigeria, with a reputation for high-profile kidnappings, armed attacks, and cross-border terrorist linkages.
