The United States Mission in Nigeria has commended Abuja for the capture of two of the country’s most wanted terror leaders, describing the operation as a “significant step forward” in the fight against extremism.

In a statement posted on its official X account, the Mission lauded the Nigerian Government and security agencies for the arrest of Mahmud Muhammad Usman, better known as Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda.

“We commend the Nigerian Government and security forces on the successful arrest of wanted Ansaru leaders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda). This is a significant forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism,” the post read.

The two men, long designated by Nigeria and international partners as high-value terror suspects, were captured between May and July in an intelligence-led counter-terrorism operation, officials said.

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu confirmed at a weekend press briefing that Abu Bara’a was the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, the Al-Qaeda-linked group formally known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan. His deputy, Mamuda, led a cell based around Kainji National Park on the Niger-Kwara-Benin Republic axis.

According to Ribadu, both men were responsible for high-profile kidnappings, prison breaks and attacks on civilians and security forces. Their operations included the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, the 2022 Kuje prison break in Abuja, and the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, the Magajin Garin Daura.

Ansaru, formed in 2012 as a splinter group from Boko Haram, initially claimed to be a “humane” alternative to its parent organisation but quickly aligned itself with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Over time, it established a network of sleeper cells across northern Nigeria and forest enclaves near the Benin border.

Ribadu described the arrests as the “decapitation” of the terror franchise, calling it the most decisive blow against the group since its inception. “This strike has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the path for the complete annihilation of the group,” he said.

The US Mission’s public endorsement reaffirmed Washington’s continued security cooperation with Abuja, particularly in intelligence-sharing and counter-terrorism operations across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin. Both Abu Bara’a and Mamuda had been on wanted lists issued by Nigeria, the United States, Britain and the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remain active, Nigeria security forces say the fall of Ansaru’s leadership could significantly weaken the jihadist landscape in north-western Nigeria.