Boko Haram Commander, Four Other Terrorists Surrender to Troops in Borno

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Five Boko Haram terrorists including a Commander of Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad (JAS) otherwise known as Boko Haram, Malam Isa, have laid down their arms and surrendered to the troops of the Nigerian Army in Borno State.

However, the Deputy Leader of Song Local Government Area Legislative Council, Hon. Ishaya Babakano, has been killed by unknown gunmen in Adamawa State.

In an Intelligence report by a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in Lake Chad, Zagazola Makama, military sources, revealed that the terrorists surrendered to the troops of 73 Battalion, Operation Hadin Kai, on Friday, July 22.

The sources said: “At about 200812A, the troops of Cashew Plantation deployed at Valley Shuwa had received five surrendered Boko Haram terrorists.

 “Preliminary investigation revealed that the insurgents came out from Gazuwa, an acclaimed new headquarters of the Boko Haram faction, located about 8 kilometres to the Bama Local Government area.”

The sources said that 29 women and children later came out and surrendered to own troops after realising that the five terrorists surrendered successfully without being killed.

He said that all the surrendered terrorists would be received, processed and passed on to the relevant agencies of government for further assessment in line with extant provisions.

Theatre Commander, North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Christopher Musa recently disclosed that more than 67,000 repentant terrorists have surrendered to troops serving in various theatres of operation in the North-East region.

Musa added that the repentant terrorists included both combatants and non-combatants and their families. At his residence Friday night, however, Babakano was killed in Gudu Mboi Ward of Song LGA.

The councillor was reported to have been shot dead a few hours after being whisked away by the assailants in his hometown of Bannga.

Also, his son was said to have been shot in the process and he was said to be receiving treatment at a health facility in Song.

The State Police Command has confirmed the incident and has consequently deployed its officers to carry out investigation into the attack with a view of arresting the culprits.