The Defence Headquarters has verified the elimination of four notorious terrorist commanders through air strikes within the last week.
They include Machika, Haro, Dan Muhammadu, and Ali Alhaji Alheri, commonly known as Kachalla Ali Kawaje. Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, announced this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
Buba mentioned that Machika, a key terrorist bomb expert, was the younger brother of the notorious terrorist Dogo Gide, while Haro and Dan Muhammadu specialized in kidnapping and assault operations, respectively.
He reported that a coordinated strike involving both air and ground forces targeting the same location on December 11 resulted in the death of Kachalla Kawaje, a notorious terrorist leader responsible for the abduction of students from the Federal University Gusau in Zamfara.
He further stated that Kachalla was eliminated in Munya Local Government Area of Niger, along with numerous of his followers.
He mentioned that the military is rapidly approaching others, and they will face a similar outcome.
Buba reported that air assets executed assertive flights over verified locations showing the presence of terrorist commanders and their followers.
He elaborated that the conducted strikes led to the demise of more than 38 terrorist commanders and their followers, with 159 others taken into custody.
“The armed forces are 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 the South East, Buba reported that on Wednesday, the troops, in collaboration with other security agencies, captured a prominent commander associated with the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed counterpart, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
He mentioned that Mr. Uchechukwu Akpa, the commander, was apprehended along with three other sub-commanders named Udoka Anthony Ude, Ikechukwu Ulanta, and Ezennaya Udeigewere.
According to him, the trio was taken into custody following a raid on their hideout at Christ the King Catholic Church, Ameta Mgbowo, in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
“They gathered to plot to take over the leadership of the 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 of 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 magazines, 25 rounds of 7.62mm NATO special ammunition, and one pump action rifle.5”
“The operations of the week in focus equally resulted in the arrest of 66 perpetrators of oil theft and the rescue of 89 kidnapped hostages,” he said.
Buba reported that military forces in the Niger Delta region eradicated 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 in the past week.
He further stated that the troops also seized 357,350 liters of pilfered crude oil, 185,300 liters of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and 20,600 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).