Borno: Troops arrest Boko Haram commander, wife and four children

Troops have arrested a Boko Haram commander alongside his wife and their four children in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Danmadami, disclosed this while speaking in Abuja on Thursday, March 9, 2023, during the biweekly briefing on troops activities.

“Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI in the North East zone of the Country have sustained and continued to dominate the Joint Area of Operations,” he stated.

“Operational activities were conducted in villages, forests, mountains, towns and cities of Ngala, Konduga, Mobar, Bama, Gwoza, Abadam, Biu, Monguno, Damboa and Askira-Uba Local Government Areas of Borno State.

“Operational activities were also conducted in Mubi, Michika and Song Local Government Areas of Adamawa State as well as Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State.

Several raids, fighting patrols and ambush operations were carried out to curb the activities of terrorists and other criminal elements within the Joint Area of Operations.

“Notably, on 24 February 2023, troops while on fighting patrol to Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province enclaves around villages in Abadam and Bama Local Government Areas of Borno State, recovered 4 AK47 rifles, 24 AK47 magazines, 200 rounds of LMG ammunition, 36 rounds of refilled 7.62mm special ammunition, 2 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, one LMG link, 2 training rifles, 2 dane guns, one 36 hand grenade, one AK47 rifle br block and slide and 2 motorcycles. Troops also destroyed makeshift camps as well as rescued 9 adult females and 5 children.

“On the same day, based on credible intelligence, troops while on ambush position apprehended a Boko Haram Terrorists commander alongside his wife and 4 children at Gwoza town in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State,”

Danmadami also said troops recovered 2 AK47 rifles loaded with 12 rounds of refilled 7.62mm special ammunition, one bandolier, 10 rounds of fabricated 7.62mm ammunition, 7 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and one mobile phone. Also, on 3 March 2023, troops conducted fighting patrol to terrorists enclaves in Afnori and Mallam Fatori general area in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State, but made no contact with the terrorists.

Troops exploited area and recovered 4 AK 47 rifle magazine containing 102 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 1 LMG and 1 LMG link containing 111 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition. Equally, between 23 February – 8 March 2023, troops ambushed Boko Haram Terrorists as well as intercepted terrorists logistics suppliers in villages within Marte, Konduga, Bama, Biu, Monguno and Gwoza Local Government Areas of Borno State.

Following the encounter, troops neutralized 8 Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province Terrorists while other fled. Troops also arrested 35 suspected terrorists logistics suppliers and recovered 120 pieces of bread, cutlasses, 2 axe, knives, 3 wristwatches, bundles of wrappers, cooking pots, assorted food items, packets of mosquito coil, 5 cartons of fish, 5 bags of fish, 2 sacks of baobad seeds, 7 mobile phone, substance suspected to be cannabis, sets of cooking utensils, one sack of metal fragments and the sum of N36,250.00.

“Cumulatively, within the last 2 weeks, troops recovered 10 AK47 rifles, 1 LMG, 7 rounds of 5.56 ammo, 1 LMG link containing 111 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 200 rounds of LMG ammo, 46 rounds of 7.62mm special, 12 rounds of refilled 7.62mm special, 2 dane guns, 4 AK47 magazines loaded with 102 rounds of 7.62mm special, 24 AK 47 magazines, 1 36 hand grenade and 1 motorcycle,”

He added that troops equally neutralized 8 terrorist, arrested 35 terrorist logistics suppliers and rescued 19 civilians while a total of 1,332 terrorist and their family members comprising 222 adult males, 411 adult females and 699 children surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre of Operations. All recovered items, rescued civilians, and apprehended suspects have been handed over to the appropriate authority for further action while surrendered terrorists and members of their families are being profiled for further action.

“Relatedly, the air component of Operation HADIN KAI conducted several air interdiction operations against terrorist enclaves and logistics in support of ground operations,”

Notably, on 24 February 2023, intelligent report revealed terrorist convergence with plans to attack some locations in Kauwa, Gamboru and Monguno in Borno State in a bid to disrupt the 2023 general elections.

Consequently, series of air interdiction operations was carried out at these identified locations. Feedback revealed that the airstrike dealt with terrorists, as several terrorist were neutralized with their logistics destroyed.

He also said that on 27 February 2023, an air interdiction was conducted at Muzuri in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State following intelligence report of Terrorist meeting in the location. Feedback revealed that several terrorists were neutralized with logistics also destroyed in the airstrike.