The Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa, has attributed the recent arrest of Ansaru terrorist leaders to collaboration among the various military formations.
General Musa made this revelation on Thursday while responding to questions in an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television.
“What has changed is that we have synergy with all the organisations and that is why we have seen all the successes,” he said.
He described the arrest of the terrorist commanders as significant, emphasising that the operation involved careful planning by the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigerian Navy.
Speaking on the apprehension of the Ansaru commanders, the Defence Chief noted that the military had pursued them for an extended period before they were finally captured.
General Musa added that military personnel work covertly, day and night to apprehend the terrorists. “I can assure you that it is going to be better,” he said.
It will be recalled that the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, announced on Saturday the arrest of two leaders of terrorist groups operating in Nigeria.
The two leaders were reportedly the heads of Ansaru, an al-Qaeda-linked group, and Mahmuda, a relatively new and lesser-known militant group.
Mahmuda gained national prominence following a series of attacks earlier this year in the country’s north-central region.
According to Ribadu, the arrested leaders are Mahmud Muhammad Usman of Ansaru and Mahmud al-Nigeri of the Mahmuda group. Both men are also wanted internationally.
