NSA thousand confirmed the arrest of 2 Top Ansaru leaders

National Security Advisor (NSA), Nuhu thousand, on Saturday confirmed the arrest of two main leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group by security forces.

Thousand told reporters in Abuja that the operation led by intelligence carried out between May and July beheaded the group leadership related to Al-Qaeda and handled “the most decisive blow to them.”

He said the operation was carried out in collaboration with the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and other security stakeholders.

Thousands added that the operation was launched against Ansaru bags inside and around Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara, with a link that extends to the Republic of Benin.

He identified one of the suspects as Mahmud Muhammad Usman (alias Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), “Emir Ansaru” who was in its own style.

NSA also registered the second suspect as Mahmud Al-Nigeri (aka Mamuda Night), Deputy and Chief of Staff of Bara.

He said the two suspects had been on the Nigerian list that were most sought after for years.

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Thousands say: “Abu Bara is described as the coordinator of terrorist sleep cells in Nigeria and the masterminds of some of the abduction and armed robbery used to fund terrorism.

“The representative, Mamuda night, is said to have trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, which specializes in handling weapons and fabrication of explosives (IED) improvisations.”

He said the duo pioneered several terrorist attacks, including the Kuje 2022 prison break and attacks on Uranium Niger facilities.

Others, according to him, including the abduction of French engineers Francis Collomp 2013 in Katsina, the kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Uba 2019 (Magajin Garin Daura), and Emir Wawa kidnapping.

He added that they were also related to Ansaru tissue throughout Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

He stressed that the arrest of Abu Bara and Mamuda marked a turning point in the ongoing military operation against the enemies of the state.

“This has dismantled the Structure of the Ansaru Central Command and marked the beginning of the end of impunity for terrorist leaders in Nigeria,” said thousand.