US Embassy Commends Arrest of Ansaru Terrorist Leaders
The United States Embassy in Nigeria has commended the Nigerian government for the arrest of two senior commanders of the terrorist group Ansaru. The arrests were confirmed by Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who described the operation as a major milestone in the country’s fight against extremism.
The two suspects, Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri, were captured in a “high-risk, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation” conducted between May and July 2025. According to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the men were leaders of the group known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, or Ansaru.
In a post on its official X handle, the US Mission in Nigeria hailed the operation as “a significant step forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism.”
Usman, described as the self-styled “Emir of Ansaru,” is accused of coordinating sleeper cells and masterminding a series of kidnappings and robberies to fund the group. His deputy, al-Nigeri, led the “Mahmudawa” cell, which operated in the Kainji National Park area and extended into the Republic of Benin. Both men were on national and international wanted lists.
Ansaru is a splinter faction of Boko Haram and has been linked to several high-profile attacks in Nigeria, including the 2022 jailbreak at Kuje Medium Security Prison and a deadly ambush on a Kaduna-Abuja train. Officials believe the arrests will significantly weaken the group’s operational network.
