United States Mission Nigeria has commended the Nigerian government and its security forces for the arrest of two wanted leaders of the terrorist group Ansaru terrorist leader were confirmed following an announcement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, who described the the operation as a major breakthrough in the country’s fight against extremism.
In a post on its official X handle on Monday on August 18, 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria praised the arrest of Mahmud Muhammad Usman (also known as Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (also known as Mallam Mamuda)
“This is a significant forward in Nigeria’s terrorism and extremism”, the post read.
The arrest were first revealed by Onanuga, who cited a briefing by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
According to Ribadu, the leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as Ansaru, were captured in a “high-risk intelligence-led, counter terrorism operation” conducted between May and July 2025.
Mahmud Muhammad Usman, identifies as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, was described as the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of numerous high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to fiance the group’s operations.
His deputy, Mahmud – Nigeri, led the group’s “Mahmudada” cell, which operates around Kainji National Park area, a region straddling Niger and Kwara States and extending into Benin Republic.
The arrest of two men, who had been on both Nigeria’s and international most-wanted lists for years, marks a significant achievement in the nation’s ongoing battle against insurgency.
-9News Nigeria.
