Security forces have captured two top leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, according to an announcement by National Security Adviser Malam Nuhu Ribadu.
Ribadu said the intelligence-led operation, conducted between May and July, dismantled the leadership of the al-Qaida-linked organization.
The operation targeted Ansaru strongholds in and around Kainji National Park and extended into the neighboring Benin Republic.
The captured leaders were identified as Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara'a, the self-styled "Emir of Ansaru," and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri. Both had been on Nigeria's most-wanted list for several years.
Ribadu stated that Abu Bara was the mastermind behind a series of high-profile kidnappings and robberies and was the coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells.
His deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, received specialized training in Libya in weapons handling and the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
The Ansaru leaders are linked to numerous terrorist attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break and an attack on a uranium facility in Niger.
Their successful capture marks a major turning point in Nigeria's war on terror.
