Scary statistics: North tops 2025 killings as Ribadu vows to crush extremists

•North leads successful 2025 deaths truthful far

•NSA Ribadu: Nigeria volition proceed to prosecute extremists with precision, resolve

By Charles Kumolu

In a span of 8 months, Nigeria has witnessed a disturbing emergence successful convulsive killings crossed respective states, causing fearfulness successful already fragile communities.

From the North-East to the Middle Belt and down to the larger South, the state has go a battlefield of gunmen, insurgents, bandits and equipped herdsmen.

Unfortunately, guiltless radical wage the heaviest price.

The figures of the dormant are arsenic scary arsenic the gory scenes of the incidents.

Nigeria’s bloodletting is simply a tragic indictment of a federation struggling to support its ain people.

Reports from Borno, Benue, Plateau, Sokoto, and Edo, among others, are harrowing reminders of lives lost, communities shattered, and anticipation fading.

Last week’s bloodletting was specified that should permission everyone disturbed astir the worthy of quality beingness successful Nigeria.

Killings crossed the federation near astatine slightest 102 radical dead, including information unit and suspected bandits.

National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has called the attacks “unacceptable” and pledged to bolster deployments and quality capabilities.

And the bully broadside of it each is that allegedly wanted violent leader, globally, Amir Mahmud Mohammed Usman, aka Abu Baraa, and his deputy, Amir Marmuda, person been arrested and are facing prosecution, according to Ribadu.

The alleged terrorists are reportedly members of ANSARU Terrorist Organisation, different known arsenic Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate and the Mahmudawa violent group.

Announcing the arrests, the NSA said: “The targeted operation, which was conducted betwixt May and July 2025, led to the seizure of 2 apical ANSARU leaders who person been liable for masterminding respective violent attacks against Nigeria implicit the past years.

“The archetypal is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of ANSARU. He is the coordinator of assorted violent sleeper cells crossed Nigeria.

“He is besides the mastermind of respective high-profile kidnappings and equipped robberies utilized to concern coercion implicit the years.

“The 2nd is Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda), Abu Baraa’s proclaimed Chief of Staff and Deputy. He is the person of the alleged ‘Mahmudawa’ compartment hiding retired successful and astir the Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States up to Benin Republic.

“Mamuda trained successful Libya betwixt 2013 and 2015 nether overseas jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specializing successful weapons handling and IED fabrication.

“These 2 men person been connected Nigeria’s most-wanted database for years.

“They jointly spearheaded aggregate attacks connected civilians, information forces, and captious infrastructure.

“Their operations see the 2022 Kuje situation break, the onslaught connected the Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French technologist Francis Collomp successful Katsina, and the May 1, 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura).

“They were besides down the abduction of the Emir of Wawa and they support progressive links with violent groups crossed the Maghreb, peculiarly successful Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

“The 2 men, who are wanted internationally, are presently successful custody.

“The palmy cognition was a high-risk, intelligence-led, counter-terrorism cognition which led to the seizure of the apical enactment of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known arsenic ANSARU, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate.

“The radical was archetypal formed successful January 2012 with a nationalist declaration successful Kano. It emerged arsenic a splinter faction from Boko Haram, positioning itself arsenic a ‘humane alternative.’

“However, its stated purpose rapidly turned to attacking Nigerian information operatives, civilian communities and authorities infrastructure. The radical publically displayed the mounting prima logo of Al-Qaeda successful the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), signaling its ideological and operational alignment with planetary jihadist movements.

“Over the years, Ansaru entrenched itself successful some municipality sleeper cells and wood enclaves, crossed respective cities successful bluish Nigeria and successful forest-based enclaves peculiarly astir Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States arsenic good arsenic Benin Republic”.

On the significance...