The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has said synergy among the various military formations was responsible for the recent arrest of Ansaru terrorist leaders.
“What has changed is that we have synergy with all the organisations – and that is why we have seen all the successes,” General Musa said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.
The defence chief described the arrest of the terrorist commanders as significant, adding that thorough planning by the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy went into the operation.
General Musa said, “On the Ansaru commanders that were arrested. This is one of the most significant arrests that have been made.
“Getting the two of them shows how detailed and how the planning went through, and that was how they were able to pick the two of them.
“These are guys that were haunted for a very long time. It shows that the intelligence and operational works are working together.”
He said the military chased the arrested terrorists for a long time before they were apprehended.
General Musa said military men work covertly day and night, “picking these guys. So, I can assure you that it is going to be better.
On Saturday, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, announced the arrest of two leaders of two terrorist groups operating in Nigeria.
The two leaders were allegedly the heads of Ansaru, an al-Qaeda-linked group, and Mahmuda, a relatively new and lesser-known militant group. Mahmuda gained national prominence after a string of attacks earlier this year in the country’s north-central region.
The arrested leaders are Mahmud Muhammad Usman of Ansaru and Mahmud al-Nigeri of the Mahmuda group. Both men are also wanted internationally, according to Ribadu.
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years. “They jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces and critical infrastructure,” Ribadu said at a news conference.
He said the arrested leaders are responsible for the Kuje prison attack in 2022 that led to the escape of dozens of jailed Boko Haram members and an attack on the Niger uranium facility in 2013, among others.
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