A former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has described the arrest of two high-profile terrorist leaders in Northern Nigeria as a decisive step in the nation’s fight against terrorism.
Sani, in a post via his X handle on Saturday, said the capture of the men, earlier announced by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was a significant breakthrough for Nigeria’s security forces.
He wrote, “The recent arrest of high-profile terrorist leaders in Northern Nigeria, as revealed by the NSA Ribadu, is a significant step in the fight against terrorism.
“They kidnap, they kill, they are deranged, they are delusional in their dreams of a theocracy through bloodshed, and above all, they live by the sword,” Sani said, adding that their arrest sends a strong signal to violent extremist groups.
Ribadu had earlier disclosed that the suspects, Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri, popularly called Mallam Mamuda, were captured between May and July 2025 in intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations.
According to him, Abu Bara’a, the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, coordinated terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies to finance extremism.
Ribadu said his deputy, Mamuda, who once trained in Libya under foreign jihadist instructors, led the “Mahmudawa” cell operating around Kainji National Park and across Nigeria’s borders.
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years. They jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure,” Ribadu said.
He linked them to the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on a Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2019 kidnapping of Magajin Garin Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, and the abduction of the Emir of Wawa.
Ribadu added that the capture marked one of the most significant blows against Ansaru, Nigeria’s al-Qaeda affiliate.
“The successful decapitation of the leadership of this dangerous franchise marks the most decisive strike against Ansaru since its inception. It has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the path for the group’s annihilation,” he said.
The NSA said both suspects, wanted internationally by Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations, are currently in custody.
