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Borno (Nigeria): Eight suspected Boko Haram terrorists were killed in Mafa local council, Borno State, by troops from Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) and the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), agencies reported.
The incident occurred on December 26, 2022, ground troops arrested a suspect and recovered four motorcycles and an AK-47 rifle. Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, revealed on Monday in Maiduguri that the terrorists were neutralised after the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, charged troops to redouble efforts in driving them out of Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad region.
He claimed that credible intelligence was used to plan the successful operation at the Ngwom community, close to Maiduguri. He claimed that the information he received from the community, paid off, as the troops quickly eliminated the fleeing terrorists.
He further said that the insurgents were usually robbers in the state’s Mafa, Jere, and Konduga local councils.
Similarly, two Boko Haram suspects were killed by a subgroup of the state’s Kwayam tribe, which was known for spiritual warfare. The terrorists, he told reporters, were killed in a separate surprise attack with bow and arrows.
“The local hunters from Kwayam recovered a motorcycle and handed it over to the troops at Gongulong, 15 kilometres north of Maiduguri,” he added.
The traditional institutions in the state have also been ordered to support the campaign to stop the North East from becoming a haven for the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons.
Meanwhile, North East Zonal Coordinator, National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Rear Adm. Abdulrahim Mohammed (rtd) appealed on Monday while visiting the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn-Garbai El-Kanemi, in his palace in Maiduguri.
Muhammed stated that the centre has embarked on a national mission to eradicate the illegal acquisition of firearms, which has greatly contributed to the country’s security challenges.
The monarchs, he claims, are guardians of culture and the forerunners of peace and a society devoid of violence, making the traditional institution a crucial stakeholder in the campaign.
The Shehu praised the Federal Government for establishing the centre in Maiduguri, saying it would reduce insecurity and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the centre has recovered over 3,000 illegal arms in the last 18 months since its launch in May 2021.
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