The Nigerian Army has confirmed the killing of Amir Abu Fatima, a high-ranking Boko Haram/ISWAP commander with a ₦100 million bounty on his head, during a successful special forces operation in Aleru village, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The operation, which took place in the northern axis of Borno, also led to the elimination of two of Fatima’s top lieutenants. Fatima, notorious for coordinating ISWAP attacks in the Baga area, was reportedly captured alive during the fierce encounter but later died from excessive bleeding caused by gunshot wounds.
According to military sources, elite troops infiltrated the terrorist enclave and engaged the insurgents in a fierce firefight, neutralizing several of them, including bomb-makers and foot soldiers.
Recovered from the scene were multiple AK-47 rifles, loaded magazines, IED components, and other military-grade weaponry.
Abu Fatima’s death is seen as a major victory by communities in Baga, Kukawa, Cross, and Doro, where his reign of terror claimed the lives of countless fishermen and farmers. Locals compare his demise to the fall of former Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau.
This operation is part of a broader offensive by the Nigerian military. Within just the past 48 hours, over 60 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists were killed during a foiled attempt to infiltrate Damasak, a strategic border town in northern Borno.
The Nigerian Army emphasized that operations will continue until all terrorist elements in the region are decisively neutralized.
