The United States government has hailed Nigeria’s recent arrest of two top leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, describing it as a significant victory in the country’s ongoing war against terrorism and violent extremism.

In a statement posted on X by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday, Washington commended the Nigerian government and security forces for the intelligence-led operation that led to the capture of the wanted insurgents.

“We commend the Nigerian Government and security forces on the successful arrest of wanted #Ansaru leaders, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a) and Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda). This is a significant step forward in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and extremism,” the statement read.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, had earlier announced the arrest of the suspects on August 16. According to him, the duo, who had long been on Nigeria’s wanted list, were apprehended in a series of coordinated operations between May and July.

Ribadu explained that Abu Bara’a, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, oversaw sleeper terror cells across the country and orchestrated kidnappings and robberies to fund the group’s activities. He linked both suspects to several high-profile attacks, including the 2022 Kuje prison break in Abuja, which freed dozens of Boko Haram inmates.

The NSA further disclosed that the captured leaders were also implicated in the 2013 attack on a uranium facility in Niger Republic, the kidnapping of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the 2019 abduction of Musa Uba, the Magajin Garin Daura, as well as the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa in Niger State.