Nigeria’s security agencies have arrested Abu Baraa, the most wanted leader of Ansaru, a terror faction affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
The breakthrough was announced by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, during a briefing in Abuja, flanked by service chiefs.
Ribadu said Baraa was captured in July after months of surveillance. “This high-risk, intelligence-led operation has crippled Ansaru’s leadership structure,” he declared.
Founded in 2012 as a splinter from Boko Haram, Ansaru initially portrayed itself as a “humane” alternative but quickly turned to targeting civilians, security forces, and infrastructure.
The group established sleeper cells in urban areas and forest enclaves, particularly around Kainji National Park in Niger and Kwara States, with cross-border links into Benin Republic.
Baraa’s arrest comes nine years after the capture of former Ansaru leader Khalid al-Barnawi in 2016.
Security experts hail the operation as one of the most significant counter-terrorism gains in recent years, though analysts warn the group’s networks may remain active.
Ribadu assured Nigerians that efforts to dismantle violent extremist cells will continue.
