A northern youth group has praised the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for confirming the arrest of two top terrorist leaders in Nigeria.
The Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly (NEYGA) said it was relieved to hear that the leaders of the ANSARU terrorist group (an Al-Qaeda-linked organisation) and the Mahmudawa group had been captured in a covert operation.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, Ribadu said the suspects, Amir Mahmud Mohammed Usman, also known as Abu Baraa, and his deputy, Marmuda, were tracked and arrested after weeks of intelligence work.
For weeks, there were media reports that DSS operatives had quietly arrested the terror chiefs, but the agency did not confirm or deny the stories. On Tuesday, Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago became the first public official to announce the capture. He thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing strong and competent security chiefs, saying the arrest showed the DSS was doing excellent work.
Related News:
- Turji’s Gang Kills Soldier, Kidnaps Dozens in Fresh Attacks
- Tinubu Tells Military to Crush Terrorists, Bandits, and Separatists
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Ibrahim Dan-Musa, NEYGA said, “We are pleased that the NSA has finally addressed a security issue that has disturbed many parts of northern Nigeria.”
The group also commended the leadership style of DSS Director General Tosin Ajayi, whom they described as professional and focused on results rather than publicity.
“We are happy with the DSS leadership we now have, it does not care about self-praise but about keeping Nigerians safe. Even when everyone knew the DSS carried out this operation, they refused to brag about it,” the group said.
NEYGA also recalled Mr Ajayi’s past success, including a 2009 covert rescue of a Canadian woman kidnapped in Kaduna without payment of ransom or loss of life.
The youth group urged security agencies to continue working silently and effectively to defeat terrorism in the northern region and across Nigeria.