The Department of State Services (DSS) has recaptured a key Ansaru terrorist group operative identified as the mastermind behind the deadly 2022 bank attacks in Uromi, Edo State, nearly three months after he escaped from the Kuje correctional facility.
The suspect, Abdulazeez Obadaki, was rearrested in a security operation, the DSS confirmed. Obadaki had been at large since the July 2022 jailbreak at the medium-security custodial centre in Kuje, Abuja, an attack for which the Ansaru group has claimed responsibility.
His recapture represents a significant victory for Nigerian security forces, as Obadaki is also believed to have orchestrated other major violent crimes. Security sources indicate he was responsible for the deadly shooting at Deeper Life College in Okene, Kogi State, adding to his profile as a dangerous operative within the terrorist network.
The re-arrest comes nearly three months after National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu announced the capture of two senior Ansaru leaders in August. At a security briefing at that time, Ribadu had identified those arrested as Abu Baraa, the Amir, and Mahmuda, the deputy Amir of the group.
“The first is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of ANSARU. He is the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria,” Ribadu stated during the August briefing.
“He is also the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism over the years.”
The NSA had detailed the second suspect’s profile as “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,” Ribadu had revealed.
The NSA had emphasized that both captured leaders had been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years, having “jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure.”
Their operations included some of the most significant security breaches in recent years, notably the 2022 Kuje jailbreak that allowed Obadaki and hundreds of other inmates to escape. Other attacks linked to the group include the assault 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).
The recapture of Obadaki marks continued progress in dismantling the Ansaru network, which has been responsible for numerous high-profile attacks across northern and central Nigeria. Security analysts view this development as particularly significant given Obadaki’s direct involvement in planning and executing the coordinated attacks on multiple banks in Uromi, which resulted in numerous casualties and massive financial losses.
The DSS has intensified operations against terrorist elements in recent months, with the Obadaki recapture representing the latest in a series of successful operations against the Ansaru network. Security forces continue to pursue remaining members of the group believed to be operating from forest reserves and border regions.
Authorities have not disclosed the specific location or circumstances of Obadaki’s recapture, citing operational security concerns. The DSS is expected to conduct further investigations to identify and locate other members of the terrorist network still at large.
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