US Commends Tinubu Administration For Arrest Of Ansaru Islamic Terrorists
The arrest of two leaders of Ansaru, a terror organization with ties to al-Qaeda, has received praise from the United States. The US mission in Nigeria referred to the arrest as "a significant step forward in the country's fight against terrorism and extremism" in a post on X on Monday. The content of the post reads, "We commend the Nigerian government and security forces on the successful arrest of Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda)," which are two wanted Ansaru leaders. “This is a significant step forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism.”
Mahmud Usman (also known as Abu Bara'a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (also known as Malam Mamuda), who are on Nigeria's wanted list, were captured following a series of intelligence-led operations between May and July, according to Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA). Ribadu claimed that Abu Bara'a, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, orchestrated kidnappings and robberies to fund the group's operations and coordinated terror sleeper cells across the nation. The NSA linked the two to a number of high-profile attacks, such as the Abuja prison break in 2022 known as Kuje, which resulted in the release of dozens of Boko Haram prisoners. He went on to say that the suspects were also involved in the kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the kidnapping of Musa Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, and the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa in Niger state in 2019. Ribadu went on to say that the operation also tore down Ansaru's central command structure. He also said that digital and physical intelligence that was found during the raids is being looked at.