Labour Party’s Peter Obi has commended the Nigerian Security Agencies for their recent achievements in the fight against terrorism, kidnappings, and banditry.
Announcing the arrests of the terrorist leaders last Saturday, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said the leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as Ansaru, were captured in a “high-risk, intelligence-led, counter-terrorism operation” conducted between May and July 2025.
According to him, Mahmud Muhammad Usman, identified as the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, was the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of numerous high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance the group’s operations.
He further added that his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, led the group’s “Mahmudawa” cell, which operates around the Kainji National Park area, a region straddling Niger and Kwara states and extending into the Benin Republic.
According to the statement, the operation included the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on the Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer, Francis Collomp in Katsina, and the May 1, 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura).
Ribadu noted that 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.
Reacting to the achievements in an X post on Monday evening, Obi described it as a remarkable feat and a step in the right direction in our collective struggle against insecurity and in restoring peace to our dear country.
He wrote: “Our gallant officers and men in uniform have shown courage, often under very difficult conditions. Their sacrifices remind us that Nigeria can—and must—be safe for all its citizens. I salute their professionalism and urge that they be better equipped, trained, and motivated to sustain these gains.
“However, beyond arrests, we must remain vigilant. Terrorism and violent criminality thrive when justice is not served, when those arrested are recycled back into society without accountability. Justice must take its full course so that impunity is not encouraged.
“Let this victory remind us that security is the foundation of every meaningful development. A secure Nigeria is possible, and together we must support our security agencies with the right leadership, resources, and political will to end the reign of terror in our land.”
