25 Months of Fire Power Against Terror,Bandit and Oil Thieves

The Presidency has declared National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, a game-changer in Nigeria’s war on terror and banditry, hailing his explosive 25-month record as a turning point in the nation’s battle for peace.

In a thunderous review, President Bola Tinubu’s aide, Dada Olusegun, described Ribadu’s tenure as a security masterstroke, reshaping the office of the NSA and delivering victories that many thought impossible.

From the capture of terror masterminds behind the deadly Abuja-Kaduna train attack and Kuje prison break, to ferocious offensives in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Sokoto that wiped out bandit kingpins and freed thousands of hostages, Ribadu’s stamp on Nigeria’s security is unmistakable.

Other headline victories include:

Oil Boom Back! Crude oil production is soaring from less than 1mbpd in April 2023 to 1.8mbpd today after a brutal crackdown on oil thieves.

Highways Reclaimed! Abuja-Kaduna road and other hotspots, once terror-infested, are now safer for Nigerians.

IPOB Crippled! Military heat and legal moves shattered ESN’s funding pipelines as sit-at-home orders crumbled in the South-East.

Peace Rising! Bloody clashes in Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Taraba and Benue were slashed with combined force and dialogue.

Olusegun insisted that Tinubu’s full backing—new arms deals, improved troop welfare, and high-tech surveillance—supercharged Ribadu’s success.

While acknowledging lingering threats, the Presidency thundered: “Nigeria’s security is tougher, highways are safer, oil is flowing again, and communities are breathing peace—thanks to Ribadu’s iron grip on terror and banditry.”

18-year-old ‘Jihadist Prince’ accused of leading deadly cell

In a stunning twist to the Boko Haram saga, security forces in Chad have arrested the teenage son of the group’s late founder, Mohammed Yusuf, sources revealed.

The 18-year-old, identified as Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, was allegedly at the helm of a six-man jihadist cell when captured. Shockingly, the boy—who was just an infant when his father was killed in a 2009 Nigerian military crackdown—is said to have grown into a militant commander under the alias Abdrahman Mahamat Abdoulaye.

According to intelligence reports, the young Yusuf was operating under the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a rival offshoot of Boko Haram that has been behind some of the region’s bloodiest attacks.

“He was the leader of the cell,” a Nigerian intelligence officer in the Lake Chad region confirmed, describing him as the youngest son of the late terror kingpin.

Yusuf is also the younger brother of notorious ISWAP leader Habib Yusuf (Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawi), cementing fears of a deadly family dynasty at the heart of West Africa’s extremist networks.

Chadian police spokesman Paul Manga confirmed the arrest of six Boko Haram suspects, branding them “undocumented bandits,” but declined to link them directly to Yusuf’s lineage.

“They were arrested a few months ago,” he said from N’djamena.

The arrest, however, has sent ripples across intelligence circles in the Lake Chad basin, where Boko Haram and ISWAP have terrorised villages and military bases for over a decade.

Security experts warn that if confirmed, the detention of Boko Haram’s founder’s son could mark a significant psychological blow to the jihadist movement—while also sparking fears of retaliation

In a thunderous breakthrough against terrorism, Nigeria’s security forces have netted two of the most dreaded terror masterminds in a high-risk operation hailed as one of the country’s biggest counter-terrorism victories.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, revealed that the dramatic sting led to the arrest of Mahmud Muhammad Usman a.k.a. Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and his ruthless deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri a.k.a. Mallam Mamuda.

“These men were international fugitives, long on our radar. Today, I am glad to announce they are in our custody,” Ribadu declared triumphantly.

The Terror Lords of Ansaru

Usman, described as the shadowy coordinator of Ansaru sleeper cells across Nigeria, is accused of masterminding high-profile kidnappings, armed robberies, and countless bloody assaults against civilians and security forces.

His partner-in-crime, al-Nigeri, infamously commanded the deadly “Mahmudawa” cell entrenched in the Kainji National Park axis stretching from Niger and Kwara States to the Benin Republic. A Libyan-trained jihadist, he specialised in IED fabrication and guerrilla warfare tactics after training with North African extremists.

Ansaru: Boko Haram’s Ruthless Offshoot

Formed in 2012 as a splinter from Boko Haram, Ansaru once pretended to be a “humane alternative.” But that façade quickly crumbled as the group unleashed a reign of terror — from ambushing security forces to staging high-profile kidnappings and aligning itself openly with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Over the years, Ansaru embedded itself deep into Nigeria’s forests and cities, running sleeper cells and expanding its tentacles into the wider Sahel.

Trail of Blood and Infamy

The two captured kingpins are said to be architects of some of Nigeria’s most shocking terror strikes:

The 2022 Kuje Prison Break.

The assault on Niger’s uranium facility.

The infamous 2013 kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina.

The brazen 2019 abduction of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura.

The kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa.

“These men had ties with terror networks in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Their arrest cripples a critical artery of international jihadism,” Ribadu emphasised.

Nigeria Roars Back

The NSA confirmed that the painstaking operation — conducted between May and July 2025 — was intelligence-led and executed with surgical precision.

Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, called on Nigerians to rally behind the government:

“This is a turning point. We must not let terrorists feed off publicity. The real story is that Nigeria is winning.”

With these arrests, security analysts say Ansaru has suffered its biggest blow in a decade — a strike that could tilt the balance in Nigeria’s long war against terror.