The Multi-National Joint Task Force has said it killed Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province top commanders during an operation in Lake Chad, Borno State, on Thursday.
Spokesman for the MNJTF, Col Timothy Antigha, said in a statement on Friday that a terrorist leader, Mallam Bakura, and some of his aides were killed during the operation conducted alongside the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole.
Antigha said, “A Battle Damage Assessment of the joint and combined interdiction indicates that Mallam Bakura and his aides have been killed. After impact, his makeshift abode and headquarters concealed within the vegetation and abandoned buildings were completely obliterated.
“Mallam Bakura was a key figure in ISWAP, but became a factional leader in 2018, following disagreements with Abu-Mossad Albarnawee. Later he teamed up with Shekau’s Boko Haram.
“Bakura was active in the southern part of Niger Republic and some islands in Lake Chad. He was involved in gruesome attacks against civilian and military targets in the locality as well as smuggling and hostage taking.
“Recall that targeted elimination of top ISWAP and Boko Haram commanders began in January with the liquidation of Amir Khalifa Umar, who was ISWAP’s chief judge.
“This was followed by an airstrike in Tunbum Madayi by the Chadian Air Force during which some other commanders were neutralised. This targeted elimination of high ranking terrorists has burst the bubble of protection usually peddled by the Commanders to hoodwink their followers.
“The MNJTF will be unrelenting in the efforts to track and hunt down the leadership of terrorists groups within the Lake Chad Basin. There will be no hiding place for them.”
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, has warned that the humanitarian organisations providing logistics and support for Boko Haram will not be allowed to continue in the North-East.
The Director, Defence Information, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, said, “What the military and security agencies resolved is that a situation where all manner of organisations hiding under the guise of humanitarian support and discreetly providing logistics for the terrorists and insurgents cannot be allowed to continue. Lawlessness and recklessness cannot be condoned.”
“Organisations must be prepared to operate under the supervision of the appropriate regulatory bodies and adhere to extant guidelines. Operation Lafiya Dole is very instrumental in whatever humanitarian activities conducted in the North-East as troops provide conducive environment to them to operate.”
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