National security adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has been commended for changing the negative security narratives in Nigeria through the decimation of terrorists’ structures and activities in most parts of the country.
The commendation came yesterday from the All Progressives Congress League of Professionals (ALP), which described the NSA as exhibiting uncommon professionalism in his national assignment.
Ribadu, a retired police officer and former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as NSA in 2023 to spearhead his administration’s efforts to tackle security challenges inherited from the previous government.
The convener of ALP, Comrade Marlin Daniel, said the group was impressed with Ribadu’s leadership of a “high-stakes, high-risk operation with coordination from other security agencies for the arrest of two notorious terrorist kingpins.”
Daniel said, “As professionals whose livelihoods have been severely affected by insecurity and unending acts of terror, the feat achieved by the NSA is not only commendable but a confirmation that he’s a core professional with the requisite competency to address Nigeria’s lingering security situation.”
According to him, the timely arrest of Mahmud Muhammad Usman, known as Abu Bara’a, and his deputy Mahmud al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda, two terrorists with international backing and training, is indeed a significant relief for Nigerians, especially those who have been directly affected by their nefarious activities.
Daniel, who issued a press statement in Abuja yesterday, said, “To put it into perspective, these two men have been on Nigeria’s and international wanted list for years and have jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure.
Their operations include 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 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.
“With this feat, the NSA has dismantled the command structure of the al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru group, notorious for audacious kidnappings, attacks, cattle rustling and other terror campaigns across the country, especially in North Central and North Western Nigeria. The success of this campaign will therefore serve as a blueprint for finally bringing all other terror kingpins to book…
“Similar efforts spearheaded by the NSA have led to relative calm in Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau and Benue States, including eastern Nigeria that was once a security nightmare. These achievements have translated into high foreign direct investments and promoted business activities that were hitherto grounded in the affected areas,” Daniel said.
