Army kills 37 ISWAP terrorists in Borno

Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), in conjunction with Air Task Force (ATF), has killed 37 Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Yobe, Borno State.

Aside from neutralising the terrorists, their hideouts in Jabullam and Yauma Wango in Abadam Council and Paribus in Sambisa Forest were also destroyed.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Spokesman, Commodore Edward Gabkwet, in Maiduguri, yesterday, said: “This development is coming as offensive airstrikes by fighter jets destroyed terrorists’ camps at the Abadam axis of the forest.”

He noted that the accurate intelligence-led airstrikes coordinated by the ATF led to the killing of over three dozens of terrorists.

According to him, multiple air raids were launched after series of aerial surveillance missions indicated massive convergence of the terrorists.

He added: “Several gun trucks and armoury of the terrorists were destroyed, while a ground assessment by sources revealed that a number of ISWAP high-value fighters were eliminated. Many were seriously injured in the attack.”

IN Plateau State, a headmaster is among the two persons killed on Wednesday in Riyom Local Council by gunmen suspected to be Fulani terrorists.

The Guardian learnt that the gunmen invaded Gwol-Hoss village of Riyom about 10.45 p.m. and hacked one Bitrus Manzere, a primary school headmaster, to death.

According to a source, Manzere was returning home after he had passed Sector 6 Headquarters of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), just some metres away from the Military Base, when the terrorists butchered him before they bolted away.

The police could not be reached to confirm the incident.

HOWEVER, the United Nations (UN) has described the increasing cases of abduction of school children, especially girls, in Northern Nigeria, as worrisome and stressed the need for the international community to work with Nigeria to address the issue.

UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, during a virtual interview jointly addressed by the Co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda Gates, as part of Generation Equality Forum (GEF), observed that the issue of women, peace and security in Nigeria was also high on the UN agenda.

The session was convened by UN Women and co-hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as the governments of Mexico and France.

Mlambo-Ngcuka added that the situation in Nigeria was urgent and that something had to be done in Nigeria to address the situation.