FG Strikes Hard: Kuje Prison Break Masterminds, Top Al-Qaeda Leaders Arrested In Major Security Sweep

The Federal Government has confirmed the arrest of two top leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), a notorious Al-Qaeda affiliate operating in Nigeria.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed this during a press briefing at his office in Abuja on Saturday, August 16, 2025. He said the arrests followed a months-long, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation carried out between May and July 2025 in collaboration with various security and intelligence agencies.

Those apprehended are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas, or Mukhtar, described as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, popularly known as Mallam Mamuda.

According to Ribadu, Abu Bara coordinated terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded numerous high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund terrorism. His deputy, Mamuda, was identified as the leader of the “Mahmudawa” cell around Kainji National Park. He reportedly received training in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from North Africa, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.

“The targeted operation led to the capture of two top Ansaru leaders who had long been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list and were also internationally wanted,” Ribadu said.

He noted that the duo were behind major terror incidents, including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on Niger’s uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.

Ribadu stressed that their capture has dismantled Ansaru’s central command and represents a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism. Security forces also recovered caches of materials and digital evidence currently undergoing forensic analysis.

“This strike has dismantled Ansaru’s core structure and paves the way for its total annihilation,” the NSA declared. “The evidence recovered will further aid ongoing efforts to prosecute the suspects, destroy remaining terror networks, and cut off foreign collaborators.”

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and support security agencies with timely intelligence to consolidate these gains.