25th February, 2020
No fewer than 25 high profile Boko Haram commanders have been neutralised by Nigeria’s Air Force and ground forces in the last two months of intensified offensives near Lake Chad.
Both the killings and the brutal offensives have thrown the fractured terrorists in disarray.
The dead included Muhammad Shuwa who was recently appointed by the terrorists as their chief judge.
In-fighting among the terrorists has also trimmed the leadership. For instance, Abu-Mossad Albarnawee, son of Boko Haram founder Muhammed Yusuf was initially replaced by Ba’a Idirisa. After the elimination of Idirisa on 9 February, ISWAP appointed Abba-Gana as the new factional leader for the group.
Ba’a Idirisa had replaced Abu-Mossad Albarnawee, both biological children of late Muhammad Yusuf, a few months ago after infighting.
PRNigeria reported the deaths of some of terrorists from explosions of Undetonated Improvised explosive Devices they used to fortify their camps.
“Two foreign terrorist sponsors were killed during the air raid and ground assault by the Nigerian troops in their camps.
“During the operations, most of the foreign commanders fled, leaving behind few local commanders who move around Tumbun Kibiya, Tumbun Alura, Tumbun Kurna and Kayewa, where their fighters relocated to after striking Sabon Tumbun and Tudun Wulgo recently.
“The Tumbus are now virtually left in the hands of local inhabitants who were forcefully recruited or abducted into the sect mostly from Mobbar, Abadan, Guzamalla, Kukawa and Marte Local Government Areas of Borno State, North-East Nigeria.
“The local terrorists fighters were also said to have been forcibly recruited along with some few Budumas who stayed back to hold ground in anticipation for elevation in status, who mostly cannot operate some of the supporting weapons left by the feeing commanders.
“There is an anticipation of an imminent and massive protest in the ISWAP camps as some fighters started accusing the leadership of misleading them, while on the other hand mothers of the trained child soldiers are also calling on their children to lay down their arms and surrender.”