Latest news with #NuhuRibadu
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Who be di most wanted Ansaru terrorist group leaders wey Nigeria security forces gbab
Di National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, don announce say di Nigeria military don gbab two top Ansaru terrorist group leaders wey e identify as identified Abu Baraa, di Amir, and Mahmuda, di deputy Amir. Ribadu yarn dis one for press briefing on security developments for di Office of di National Security Adviser. Di NSA say na dis two men dey responsible for planning several terrorist operations for Nigeria and high-profile kidnappings. According to Ribadu, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara'a/Abbas/Mukhtar), na self-styled Emir of ANSARU. "Na im be di coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria. Na im also be di mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies wey dem dey use to finance terrorism ova di years. Ribadu say Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda) na Abu Bara's proclaimed Chief of Staff and Deputy. Di NSA say Mamuda na di leader of "Mahmudawa" cell wey around di Kainji National Park, between Niger and Kwara States up to di Benin Republic. "Mamuda bin train for Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, and specialise in weapons handling and IED fabrication." According to di NSA said di two men don dey on Nigeria most-wanted list for years, afta dem jointly lead multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure. We dey update dis tori
The Sun
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Nigeria arrests Ansaru terror leaders behind 2022 Abuja jailbreak
LAGOS: Nigerian security forces have arrested two senior leaders of the Ansaru terror group responsible for a 2022 jailbreak near Abuja. National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu confirmed the capture of Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Mahmud al-Nigeri during operations between May and July 2025. 'These two men have been on Nigeria's most-wanted list for years,' Ribadu stated during a press briefing in Abuja. The duo allegedly led Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, an Al-Qaeda-linked faction that split from Boko Haram in 2012. Authorities linked the suspects to the July 2022 assault on Kuje prison, where attackers used explosives to free hundreds of inmates near the presidential compound. 'They jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure,' Ribadu added about the arrested commanders. The operation marks a major success in Nigeria's counterterrorism efforts amid ongoing violence by jihadist groups and criminal gangs in northern regions. Investigators connected Usman and al-Nigeri to ransom kidnappings that funded Ansaru's operations across central and northwestern Nigeria. The US designated Ansaru as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2013 after the group executed seven foreign construction workers. Ribadu described the arrests as 'one of the most significant achievements' in Nigeria's 15-year fight against extremist networks. Ansaru initially opposed Boko Haram's extreme tactics but later adopted similar violent methods, including prison raids and police station attacks. Security analysts note the group retains operational bases in Kano despite sustained military pressure across Nigeria's conflict zones. - AFP
France 24
4 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Nigeria arrests leaders of terror group accused of 2022 jailbreak
Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, told journalists that Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Mahmud al-Nigeri had been captured during a "targeted operation... between May and July". He said they were the leaders of Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan -- commonly known as Ansaru. "These two men have been on Nigeria's most-wanted list for years" and were also on international wanted lists, said Ribadu. "They jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure," he added. In a brazen raid in July 2022, jihadists used guns and explosives to blast their way into a prison on the outskirts of Abuja, freeing dozens of inmates. Ansaru subsequently claimed responsibility. The arrests mark a breakthrough in the West African nation's decade-and-half long battle against jihadists in the northeast -- and, more recently, against criminal gangs behind kidnappings for ransom in central and northwestern regions. Ribadu said Usman and al-Nigeri had been involved in several high-profile kidnappings in the regions. The Boko Haram splinter group was formed in 2012, later aligning itself with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The United States designated the group alongside Boko Haram as "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" in 2013. "The capture of Abu Bara and Mallam Mamuda, the group's leader and deputy commander respectively, marks one of the most significant achievements to date in our ongoing effort to rid Nigeria of the threat of terrorism," Ribadu added. - Jailbreaks and kidnappings - Ansaru broke away from Boko Haram in 2012, setting up its base in Kano. Its members, many of them Western-educated, rejected Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau for being too extreme. But the group has since adopted the same violence it initially denounced in Boko Haram. The United States said the group kidnapped and executed seven international construction workers in 2013. According to Ribadu, Usman and al-Nigeria masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies, using the proceeds to "finance terrorism over the years". Several hundred inmates were freed before being recaptured by security forces in July 2022 when Ansaru attacked the Kuje medium-security prison just 40 kilometres (25 miles) away from the capital and the Aso Rock presidential villa. In 2012, the group raided a police station in the capital city, killed police officers and freed detainees from prison.
