The Defence Headquarters has confirmed that four notorious terrorist commanders were killed in air strikes within the week. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, stated that the commanders, Machika, Haro, Dan Muhammadu, and Ali Alhaji Alheri, were targeted and neutralized in the operations.
Machika, a top terrorist bomb expert and the younger brother of Dogo Gide, a notorious terrorist, was among the killed. Haro and Dan Muhammadu, specialists in kidnapping and assault operations, also met their fate in the strikes.
A coordinated air and ground forces operation on December 11 led to the killing of Kachalla Kawaje, a renowned terrorist leader responsible for the abduction of students of Federal University Gusau, Zamfara. The military is intensifying efforts to track down other prominent terrorist leaders and bring them to justice.
Additionally, in the South East, the troops, in conjunction with other security agencies, apprehended a prominent commander of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra and its armed affiliate the Eastern Security Network.
The arrested commander, Uchechukwu Akpa, along with three sub-commanders, was planning to take over the leadership of IPOB/ESN Auto Pilot Command, Enugu State Chapter, and attack troop locations. Troops also conducted raids resulting in the recovery of weapons and ammunition.
Furthermore, the operations of the week led to the arrest of 66 perpetrators of oil theft and the rescue of 89 kidnapped hostages in addition to the destruction of illegal refining sites and the recovery of stolen crude oil and other illegal products in the Niger Delta area.
The military continues to take decisive action against terrorist and criminal elements, striving to bring security and stability to the nation.