Nigerian military eliminates 4 notorious terrorist commanders in air strikes
The Defense Headquarters in Nigeria has confirmed the deaths of four notorious terrorist commanders in recent air strikes.
The military has identified the deceased as Machika, Haro, Dan Muhammadu, and Ali Alhaji Alheri, also known as Kachalla Ali Kawaje.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
According to Buba, Machika was a bomb expert and the younger brother of another notorious terrorist, Dogo Gide. Haro and Dan Muhammadu were specialists in kidnapping and assault operations, respectively.
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Kachalla Ali Kawaje, a renowned terrorist leader responsible for the abduction of students from the Federal University Gusau in Zamfara, was killed in an airstrike in Munya Local Government Area of Niger on December 11.
Buba said that air assets conducted aggressive air flights on confirmed locations active with the movement of terrorist commanders and their foot soldiers.
He added that the strikes carried out resulted in the killing of over 38 terrorist commanders and their foot soldiers, while 159 others were arrested.
“The armed forces is hunting down prominent terrorist leaders and engaging them wherever they are hiding.
“The military will continue to take the fight to the terrorists and their cohorts until they are destroyed or surrendered”.
In addition to these operations, troops in conjunction with other security agencies have arrested a prominent commander of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The commander, Uchechukwu Akpa, was apprehended alongside three other sub-commanders identified as Udoka Anthony Ude, Ikechukwu Ulanta, and Ezennaya Udeigewere, during a raid on their hideout at Christ the King Catholic Church in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
“They gathered to plot to take over the leadership of IPOB/ESN Auto Pilot Command, Enugu State Chapter, from the apprehended former Commander, known as “Chocho”. They also planned to attack troop locations.
“During the raid, Mr Akpa sustained a gunshot wound while trying to escape.
He was the Second in Command to Chocho, a notorious IPOB/ESN leader currently in custody.
“Subsequently, another raid connected with the arrest was conducted on Dec. 14 where troops recovered one AK 47 Rifle, Two AK 47 Magazine, 25 rounds of 7.62mm NATO special ammunition and one Pump action rifle.
“The operations of the week in focus equally resulted in the arrest of 66 perpetrators of oil theft and the rescued of 89 kidnapped hostages,” he said.
Buba said the troops in the Niger Delta area destroyed 15 dugout pits, 25 boats, 74 storage tanks, 14 vehicles, 115 cooking ovens, 13 reservoirs, 10 cooling systems, 10 receivers, three pumping machines and 64 illegal refining sites during the week.
He added that troops recovered 357,350 litres of stolen crude oil, 185,300 litres of illegally refined AGO and 20,600 litres of PMS.
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