Nigeria arrests leaders of terror group accused of 2022 jailbreak

Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, told journalists that Mahmud Muhammad Usman and Mahmud al-Nigeri had been captured during a "targeted operation... between May and July".

He said they were the leaders of Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan -- commonly known as Ansaru.

"These two men have been on Nigeria's most-wanted list for years" and were also on international wanted lists, said Ribadu.

"They jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure," he added.

In a brazen raid in July 2022, jihadists used guns and explosives to blast their way into a prison on the outskirts of Abuja, freeing dozens of inmates. Ansaru subsequently claimed responsibility.

The arrests mark a breakthrough in the West African nation's decade-and-half long battle against jihadists in the northeast -- and, more recently, against criminal gangs behind kidnappings for ransom in central and northwestern regions.

Ribadu said Usman and al-Nigeri had been involved in several high-profile kidnappings in the regions.

The Boko Haram splinter group was formed in 2012, later aligning itself with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

The United States designated the group alongside Boko Haram as "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" in 2013.

"The capture of Abu Bara and Mallam Mamuda, the group's leader and deputy commander respectively, marks one of the most significant achievements to date in our ongoing effort to rid Nigeria of the threat of terrorism," Ribadu added.

- Jailbreaks and kidnappings -

Ansaru broke away from Boko Haram in 2012, setting up its base in Kano. Its members, many of them Western-educated, rejected Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau for being too extreme.

But the group has since adopted the same violence it initially denounced in Boko Haram.

The United States said the group kidnapped and executed seven international construction workers in 2013.

According to Ribadu, Usman and al-Nigeria masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies, using the proceeds to "finance terrorism over the years".

Several hundred inmates were freed before being recaptured by security forces in July 2022 when Ansaru attacked the Kuje medium-security prison just 40 kilometres (25 miles) away from the capital and the Aso Rock presidential villa.

In 2012, the group raided a police station in the capital city, killed police officers and freed detainees from prison.