BREAKING: Troops arrest Nigeria’s most wanted terror kingpin

Security forces have arrested Abu Baraa, the dreaded leader of the Ansaru terrorist network, after an intensive operation that spanned several months.

The breakthrough was announced by the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu during a special press briefing at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in Abuja.

Ribadu said the operation followed a prolonged surveillance effort that started in May and culminated in Baraa’s capture in July.

“I am glad to inform you that we have successfully concluded a high-risk, intelligence-led, counter-terrorism operation which led to the capture of the top leadership of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as ANSARU, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate,” Ribadu said.

He explained that Ansaru, which declared its presence publicly in Kano in 2012 after splintering from Boko Haram, originally presented itself as a “humane alternative” before turning to attacks on security operatives, civilians, and government facilities.

“The group publicly displayed the setting sun logo of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), signaling its ideological and operational alignment with global jihadist movements,” Ribadu added.

According to him, Ansaru had entrenched itself in both urban hideouts and forest camps, particularly around Kainji National Park, which spans Niger and Kwara states and extends into Benin Republic.

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