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PHOTOS: FG announces arrest of Kuje prison break masterminds and top Al-Qaeda affiliate leaders

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The Federal Government has announced the arrest of two top leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who disclosed this at a press briefing held at the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja on Saturday, August 16, 2025, said the arrest was made following a months-long counter-terrorism operation.

Ribadu said the intelligence-led operation was carried out between May and July 2025 in collaboration with security and intelligence agencies.

Those arrested are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, Abbas or Mukhtar, identified as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also known as Mallam Mamuda.

According to Ribadu, Abu Bara coordinated terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies to finance terrorism.

He added that his deputy, Mamuda, led the “Mahmudawa” cell around Kainji National Park and trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors.

“The targeted operation, which was conducted between May and July 2025, led to the capture of two top ANSARU leaders who have been responsible for masterminding several terrorist attacks against Nigeria over the past years. The first is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of ANSARU,” he said.

“He is the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria. He is also the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism over the years.

“The second is Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda), Abu Bara’s proclaimed Chief of Staff and Deputy. He is the leader of the so-called “Mahmudawa” cell hiding out in and around the Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States up to the Benin Republic. Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in weapons handling and IED fabrication.”

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FG announces arrest of Kuje prison break masterminds and top Al-Qaeda affiliate leaders

The NSA said the two men had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years and were also internationally wanted.

Ribadu said the suspects were responsible for attacks including the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on Niger’s uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp, and the 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba, Magajin Garin Daura.

“They were also behind the abduction of the Emir of Wawa and they maintain active links with terrorist groups across the Maghreb, particularly in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. d The two men, who are wanted internationally, are currently in custody, ” Ribadu added.

The NSA stated that their capture dismantled Ansaru’s central command structure and marked a significant achievement in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.

He added that security forces recovered materials and digital evidence during the operation, which are undergoing forensic analysis.

“This strike has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the path for the complete annihilation of the group. 8. Let me use this opportunity to inform the public that, in the course of the operation, our security forces captured and recovered valuable actionable intelligence,” the NSA said.

“These include a cache of materials and digital evidence which are all now undergoing forensic analysis. The findings from the analysis are expected to support our ongoing efforts to exploit this success, bring them to justice, and completely bring them to justice, and completely annihilate the remnants of ANSARU networks and disrupt their foreign collaborators.”

See also  Fleeing driver abandons car with bags of cannabis in Lagos

Ribadu also called on citizens to remain vigilant and provide timely information to authorities.

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Crime

Four rescued, one arrested for organ harvesting in Nasarawa

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The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a 40-year-old man, Maro Ebojoh, for his alleged involvement in organ harvesting in the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Shetima Mohammed, made the disclosure during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters on Tuesday in Lafia, the state capital.

According to him, a distress call was received from the Alhaji Yahaya Sabo Motor Park, Bukan Sidi, Lafia, on Monday, at about 1100 hours, when it was reported that a suspect had been intercepted by motor park officials for alleged involvement in organ harvesting.

The CP, therefore, noted that upon receiving the information, he immediately directed the Divisional Police Officer of ‘B’ Division, Lafia, to proceed to the scene. He added that the suspect was subsequently handed over to the operatives, and four victims were successfully rescued.

He said, “Preliminary investigation revealed that on Friday, November 14, 2025, one Maro Ebojoh ‘M’, 40 years old, of Ogbara Inland Area, Ethiope East LGA, Delta State, arrived in Lafia to source potential organ donors and prepare them for an immediate kidney transplant.

“He lured the following victims with a promise of N2,000,000 payment upon completion of the procedure: Umar Ahmadu Barau, 25 years, Suleiman Alhaji-Garba, 20 years, Williams Dadung, 32 years, and Stanley Ezekiel, 27 years.

“The suspect took all the victims to a hospital for medical evaluation. One of the victims, having passed the initial screening, was moved to Abuja for the transplant, but the procedure could not hold due to issues related to blood pressure. The victim was subsequently lodged in a hotel to stabilise. Operatives of the command swiftly moved to Abuja and rescued the victim unhurt.”

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Mohammed narrated that the suspect confessed to the crime and further stated that the agreed amount between him and his client was ₦6.5m, out of which he had received an advance payment of N500,000, while the donors were to be paid ₦2m.

“He also confessed to having successfully procured a donor for another client two months ago. In that case, he received ₦1m while the donor was paid ₦2.5m,” the CP explained.

The CP further urged members of the public to remain vigilant and cautious, particularly against individuals who disguise themselves as genuine organ donor solicitors but are, in fact, involved in organ harvesting for financial gain.

In another development, the state police boss narrated how operatives of the command raided a criminal hideout in the Karu Local Government Area of the state, where nine suspects were arrested.

He mentioned the names of the suspects to include Ahmed Ibrahim, 27 years; Yusuf Abdulazeez, 23 years; Ismaila Abubakar, 18 years; Abdulrahman Mujahid, 20 years; Abdullahi Abdulazeez, 29 years; Muntaka Garba, 21 years; Hashiru Adamu, 21 years; Abdulrahman Jamilu, 22 years; and Auwalu Bashiru Attah, 20 years.

He said, “On 04/11/2025 at about 1030hrs, police operatives attached to the Mararaba ‘A’ Division raided a criminal hideout located along Musbawu Street, Mararaba, Karu LGA, Nasarawa State.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were responsible for numerous gang-related robbery operations at night within Mararaba and its environs. Their modus operandi involved attacking residents, stealing mobile phones, and transferring funds from victims’ bank accounts before selling the stolen devices to unsuspecting buyers.”

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He added, “The suspects confessed to the crimes and also admitted to carrying out a robbery operation on 20/05/2025 at the Uke area of Karu LGA, during which they attacked and killed the son of a serving police officer.

“The case is currently under investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia, and the suspects will be charged in court upon conclusion of investigations.”

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Crime

Cameroonian fleeing from suspected ritualists found in Osun

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A Cameroonian, Ondigui Nnomo Germain, has been found in Osogbo, Osun State, while fleeing from some suspected ritualists.

Germain, who ran into the head office of the Osun Amotekun Corps in the Powerline Area, Osogbo, around 11 am on Tuesday, said he was brought to Nigeria from the Ahala Barriere area in Yaounde by a Nigerian who promised to get him a job.

To get money for his trip to Nigeria, Germain, who was working at a shop in Yaounde, said he sold some of his belongings, adding that he began to suspect the person who brought him to Nigeria when he and his colleagues visited him at a hotel where he was lodged along Osogbo/Ikirun Road on Monday.

Upon realising that the person who brought him from Cameroon may have an ulterior motive, the 28-year-old said he ran out of the hotel and was chased in a vehicle.

After escaping from those chasing him, he said he passed the night in an abandoned building and was wandering around the street until he got to the gate of the Osun State Security Network, also known as Amotekun Corps, located in the Powerline area of Osogbo in the early hours of Tuesday.

Narrating his ordeal in the French language at the entrance to the Osun Amotekun Office using a mobile phone language translator, Germain, who looked disheveled, said, “I am Ondigui Nnomo Germain. I am 28 years old and I am from Yaounde (Ahala Barriere). I was working for a woman in a second-hand shop in Yaounde when his son, a Nigerian, came to me and suggested there was a job for me in Nigeria.

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“I told him that I didn’t have money for the trip, and he told me not to worry, that it was a good job. I sold my belongings and I gave him the money. The money was what he demanded from me before leaving Cameroon. He made sure that I and another person who made the trip had no money in our pockets. They gave us SIM cards when we got to Nigeria.

“We got to Nigeria three days ago (Sunday). What happened thereafter was that yesterday (Monday), the person who brought me here came with another man. I asked him about the work, but he mentioned the post of stock manager.

“I observed that the man who brought me had guys everywhere on the road, even at the border. Then, at about 9 a.m. yesterday, they came to pick me up at the hotel for the interview for the job they promised me.

“There were many in the room where the interview was held inside the hotel. Each of them took their turn trying to convince me. I noticed it was like a voodoo circle; they all had rings except the man who brought me from Cameroon. When I observed that, I sneaked out, but they chased me until I ran into this place.”

Asked what he wanted, Germain said he would like to return to his country. He said, “If you can even accompany me to the border via Buea because I noticed they have guys along the road, I will get to Cameroon. I have fear that I am not safe again.”

When the PUNCH Metro correspondent reported the matter to the Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, he said the report should be made at the nearest police station for investigation to commence.

See also  No abduction of 15 Akwa Ibom students, says CP

Germain was immediately led to the Obelawo Police Post, where he reported the matter.

PUNCH Metro reported on October 27, 2025, that the Osun State Police Command announced the arrest of 10 people suspected to be members of an unlawful society at a lounge in Moro Community.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, who disclosed the arrest during a press briefing, said those arrested were in a lounge planning evil acts when operatives acting on a tip-off swooped on them.

Gotan, who said the suspects had engaged police operatives in a gun duel immediately they arrived at the scene, added that the cops were, however, able to subdue them and arrested 10 suspects, comprising nine males and one female.

Speaking further, Gotan said five guns, ammunition, five vehicles, and 10 motorcycles were recovered from the scene, noting that efforts had been intensified to arrest the owner and the supervisor in charge of the lounge, believed to be on the run to evade arrest.

Explaining further how the suspects were nabbed, Gotan said, “At about 12:45 am on 25th October, 2025, the command received credible information from public-spirited citizens that some suspected multifaceted criminals, i.e., criminals involved in cultism, kidnapping, thuggery, etc, were shooting sporadically and causing panic at a lounge located at Moro.

“Preliminary investigation reveals that the lounge has become a criminal hideout where they plan attacks within its environs.

“Upon receipt of the information, a team of Police Rapid Response Unit operatives, led by the commander, swiftly mobilised to the scene, and on sighting the police team, the suspected evildoers opened fire, but our gallant officers responded decisively and successfully repelled the attack without any casualty.”

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Crime

Missing FRSC officer, daughter feared killed by Osun herbalist

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A 39-year-old senior officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Funmilayo Oluwamayokun Lasisi, and her daughter, Sewa Lasisi, who were declared missing in Ogun State, have been found dead with a mutilated body part at a suspected herbalist’s den in Osun, in what is suspected to be a ritual killing.

Our correspondent learnt on Tuesday from a Facebook user, Ayomideji Solanke, who was privy to the incident, that the discovery was made over the weekend.

Recall that PUNCH Metro earlier reported that 39-year-old Lasisi and her teenage daughter were reported missing on the morning of Sunday, November 2, after they left their residence at the Obasanjo Hilltop Estate, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, and never returned.

Oluwamayokun, a Superintendent Route Commander, is a fourth-level senior operational officer in the FRSC hierarchy, responsible for overseeing multiple routes and coordinating strategic enforcement operations.

The Ogun State Police Command had said that efforts by family members and colleagues to reach the officer and her daughter on their mobile phones were unsuccessful.

Sharing an update on the incident on Facebook, Solanke disclosed that a family source had revealed that the remains of the missing officer and her daughter were found at a suspected herbalist’s den in Osun.

Solanke wrote, “The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Federal Road Safety Corps officer, SRC Lasisi Funmilayo Oluwamayokun, and her young daughter, Sewa, has taken a tragic turn as their remains were reportedly discovered in the home of a suspected herbalist in Osun State.

“Fresh revelations emerged at the weekend when a source close to the bereaved husband disclosed that the bodies of the officer and her daughter were recovered from the residence of a traditional healer in an undisclosed community in Osun State.”

See also  No abduction of 15 Akwa Ibom students, says CP

He added that while the wife of the herbalist has been arrested, the herbalist has since been on the run.

Confirming the incident in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Tuesday, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, disclosed that the Osun State Command has arrested some suspects in connection with the incident.

According to Ogunlowo, the Osun command also discovered some exhibits at the scene, which were suspected to be body parts of the missing officer and her daughter.

“The Osun command has commenced investigation, and they have made some arrests. They found some exhibits that are body parts.

“For convenience’s sake, Osun will be investigating the matter, and we will be lending the necessary support. The suspect is with them,” Ogunlowo said.

This is not the first time a missing person has been found dead with a mutilated body part across different states in the country.

PUNCH Metro reported on July 26 that the Ogun State Police Command investigated the death of a 16-year-old boy, Lawal Wahab, whose mutilated body was discovered days after he was declared missing.

Wahab, who was living with his grandmother, was reported missing by his father, Lawal Olumide, before his decomposing remains were found on July 23 along the Old Express Road in Igbile-Ijebu.

Similarly, in January 2020, the dismembered body of a business mogul, Ignatius Adunukwe, was recovered from a bush in the Ajah area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro had gathered that Adunukwe was about to sell a landed property to some supposed buyers when he was allegedly kidnapped by the potential buyers, forced to sign some documents, and strangled to death.

See also  Drug abuse threatens Nigeria’s future, Marwa warns youths

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