Map of Northern Nigeria. Photo Source: The Guardian.
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Claim: An X user, @MasterBolaji, posted a claim that the Department of State Security has arrested a notorious terrorist leader, Abubakar Abba, known as Mahmuda, in Niger State weeks after intelligence reports.
Verdict: Misleading. DUBAWA found that Mahmuda was arrested in 2025 in Niger State, not recently, and the attached photo is of a Boko Haram member who surrendered in Borno State in 2024.
Full Text
A X user, Bolaji Fesomade (@MasterBolaji), on Aug. 17, 2026, posted an image claiming to show the notorious terrorist leader Abubakar Abba known as Mahmuda, arrested by the Department of State Security in Niger State.
The post claims Mahmuda was arrested weeks after intelligence reports.
The post (archived here)was captioned, “JUST IN: The DSS has arrested notorious terrorist leader Abubakar Abba, also known as Mamuda, in Niger State after weeks of intelligence work. He was accused of leading attacks, kidnappings and killings around the Kainji area. He is now in DSS custody as investigations continue.”
As of Aug. 20, 2026, the claim had attracted 44,000 views, 102 comments, 278 reposts, 1,100 reactions, and 26 bookmarks.
Reacting to the post, invisible eyes (@ukejeizu) wrote, “DSS will arrest a new recruit and name him terrorist leader…. Terrorists don’t lose a guide like that.”
Another X user, olusegun olawale (@dovecity004), commented, “Arrest him today for public hearings and release him tomorrow for political purposes; you guys are fooling yourselves, not Nigerians.”
“I think I’ve seen this picture long ago. Which makes me doubt this news,” Eko Odinta (@OdintaEko) wrote.
We also found this claim shared on X here, here, and on Facebook here, here, here, here, here.
Given the claim’s security and governance implications and its virality, DUBAWA decided to verify it.
Verification
DUBAWA conducted a Google reverse image search and found that the image has been online since 2024.
On Jul. 1, 2024, News Net Global reported that a Boko Haram fighter surrendered to the troops in the Bama area of Borno State, and the same image was attached.
Part of the report reads, “At least one Boko Haram fighter has surrendered to the troops of the 2nd Armoured Brigade in Bama Local Government Area. Intelligence sources told Zagalola Makama that the terrorist, identified as Ibrahim Tide, 20, surrendered on June 30, 2024.”
Similarly, Truth Nigeria, an online newspaper, on the same date published the same story that a Boko Haram fighter surrendered to troops of the 21 Armoured Brigade in Borno.
DUBAWA conducted a keyword search, and the results showed that Mahmuda was arrested in the Wawa community under the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State in 2025.
The viral image was also used in the report announcing his arrest in August 2025, as seen here, here on Facebook, and here on X.
On Aug. 12, 2025, the Niger State Government confirmed the arrest of Mahmuda in Wawa community, Niger State. Mahmuda, identified as the leader of the Mahmuda group, which operates across Niger and Kebbi states, was captured by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Also, reputable news outlets such as Premium Times, The Cable, and The Nation reported that on July 20, 2026, Abubakar Abba (Mahmuda) and Mahmuda Usman (Abu Bara’a) pleaded guilty after being arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja and were handed life imprisonment.
Conclusion
The claim that Mahmuda, a terrorist leader, was recently arrested in Wawa community, Niger State, is misleading. Although he was arrested in the state in 2025, the attached viral photo is of another surrendered terrorist identified as Ibrahim Tide in Borno State.
This fellowship is implemented by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) with support from the European Union.
