Army kills two ISWAP commanders, other terrorists in Borno

Vigilantes rescue 134 persons kidnapped in FCT

Troops of 199 Special Forces and 222 Battalion, in collaboration with Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have neutralised two Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commanders in the Yuwe axis of Konduga Local Council, Borno State.

The troops also killed several other terrorists at the weekend. The eliminated commanders were identified as Abu Huzaifa and Sarki, who had been leading ISWAP in Sambisa Forest for about a decade.

A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed, yesterday, in Maiduguri, that the troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce exchange of gunfire.

He said: “They (soldiers) neutralised several terrorists, while others withdrew in disarray with gunshot wounds. The troops killed many of them and lost one CJTF member. They recovered ammunition, motorcycle, eight bicycles and several items belonging to Sarki in the encounter. 

“Sarki had coordinated several attacks in Bita, Mubi, Adamawa and Madagali for the terror group. Other commanders, including Abou Huzaifa, Abou Ubaida and Abba Tukur, are on the run.”

MEANWHILE, vigilante operatives in Kogi State have rescued 134 persons abducted from various parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This happened during their operations in Kogi forests and some parts of Nasarawa State, Chief Press Secretary to the Kogi Governor, Onogwu Muhammed, stated, yesterday.

The local security operatives reportedly stormed the kidnappers’ den in Odullo forest of Kogi and Sardauna forest in Nasarawa, rescuing victims abducted from Abaji, Kuje and Kwali in FCT, as well as Toto Local Council of Nasarawa.

Chairman of Kogi/Koton Karfe Local Council, Dauda Aliyu, who received the rescued victims, commended the vigilantes for their bravery. He acknowledged the support of the state government to security operatives in the state.

Aliyu ensured that the victims were properly reunited with their families in their respective councils. About 92 vigilantes participated in the operation in Odullo Forest, after which they advanced to Sardauna.

The council boss appreciated Governor Yahaya Bello for supporting the vigilantes, which he said continued to help immensely in the fight against insecurity in the state.

Kogi State Security Adviser, Jerry Omodara, also praised the vigilantes and other security agencies for their efforts in fighting crime in the state and beyond.
Bello’s administration, he said, would continue to make Kogi uninhabitable for criminals, reiterating the governor’s commitment to making Kogi the safest state in the country.