Manhunt Ends: DSS Recaptures High-Profile Terror Escapee Months After Kuje Prison Break

Obadaki, described as a notorious terrorist operative, was among more than 800 inmates — including several Boko Haram suspects — who fled the facility after insurgents overpowered security operatives in a coordinated assault.

Since the jailbreak, he had remained on the DSS watchlist for his alleged involvement in a series of violent crimes.

According to the agency, Obadaki “masterminded the bank robberies in Uromi, Edo State, and the fatal shooting at Deeper Life College in Okene, Kogi State, both in 2022.”

Naija News reports that his re-arrest comes nearly three months after the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, announced the capture of two key leaders of the Ansaru terrorist network.

During an August press briefing at the Office of the National Security Adviser, Ribadu identified those arrested as Abu Baraa, the group’s Amir, and Mahmuda, his deputy.

Ribadu said: “The first is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-proclaimed Emir of ANSARU. He coordinates various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and is behind several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fund terrorism.”

He continued: “The second is Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda), Abu Bara’s Chief of Staff and Deputy. He leads the ‘Mahmudawa’ cell operating around Kainji National Park, spanning Niger and Kwara States to the Benin Republic. Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.”

The NSA further noted that both men had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years due to their roles in orchestrating attacks on civilians, security forces, and key national infrastructure.