The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Super Tucano fighter jets have killed 150 Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa Forest of Borno State.
The terrorists were reportedly neutralised on wednesday the Mantari hideouts in Bama Local Council.
A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed in Maiduguri that the military airstrikes targeted terrorists while they were meeting in the forest.
A military source in Maiduguri also said that Abbah Tukur, a Khaid of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), was among the terrorists neutralised in the Mantari-Maimusari-Bakura axis in the local council.
Makama said: “Bakura Jega has led some fighters on 40 motorcycles on the instructions of Amir Fiye, Ali Ngulde, to the Lake Chad of Kernoa.
“The instructions were to seek more support from the Boko Haram leader, Abou Oumaymah, to scale up its fighting capabilities to fight ISWAP terrorists in the region.”
He added that the fighters were received by the leadership in Mantari, after they returned with weapons, motorcycles and rustled livestock.
According to him, when the military struck the hideouts, no fewer than 150 terrorists were neutralised.
The military source indicated that lack of medical treatment for various injuries led to the death of more terrorists in the forest.
“The terrorists that sustained burns and other injuries from the airstrikes are, however, treated in the open under the canopy of a tree,” he said, warning that the people should desist from visiting the treatment area, as the terrorists’ health conditions are terrible to bear.
Meanwhile, the Borno Police Command says it arrested 503 suspects for terrorism, rape and culpable homicide across the state.
The police made the arrests between January and December 2022 in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Council.
Confirming the arrests, yesterday, in Maiduguri, the Commissioner of Police, Abdu Umar, disclosed: “Out of the arrests made, 372 suspects were charged to court for prosecution, while 314 were convicted.”
According to him, there were 102 rape cases, terrorism 200, culpable homicide 90, armed robbery 22, kidnapping 30 and banditry 11.
Other cases recorded during the year under review included 28 for drug abuse, and 138 for theft.
He added that 12 suspected members of All Progressives Congress (APC) and two from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were also arrested and charged to court for the illegal possesion of weapons.
