TWO notorious Boko Haram commanders and eleven other fighters have been eliminated in a fierce counteroffensive launched by troops of the Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, following failed attempts by the insurgents to overrun Bitta and Wulgo communities in Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State.
The slain commanders were identified as Abu Nazir (Munzir of Juye) and Abu Fatima (Munzir of Koloram), both long-standing field leaders of the terrorist sect.
News Point Nigeria gathered that they led coordinated midnight raids on the two communities on Thursday, August 21, and Friday, August 22, but met stiff resistance from Nigerian ground troops backed by the air component of the Theatre Command.
Confirming the incident, the Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Abdulsallam Abubakar, said the insurgents attempted to infiltrate Bitta and Wulgo under the cover of darkness, sparking an intense firefight that lasted into the early hours of Friday.
“Our troops responded swiftly and engaged the terrorists in a fierce battle, neutralizing 13 of them, including two top commanders. Several others fled with gunshot wounds,” Abubakar disclosed.
Recovered from the battlefield were six motorcycles, multiple AK-47 rifles, and a large cache of ammunition, while several insurgents who escaped are believed to be hiding with severe injuries.
Bitta and Wulgo are among seven communities in Gwoza that were once overrun during Boko Haram’s infamous 2014 occupation, when the sect briefly declared the town a “Caliphate.”
Though Nigerian troops reclaimed the area, its proximity to the Mandara Mountains and the Cameroon border, known Boko Haram hideouts has continued to make the communities vulnerable to sporadic attacks.
The recent offensive, military sources said, was a warning signal to terrorists attempting to re-establish footholds in the region.
Gwoza remains symbolic in Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram, as it was the first LGA captured and declared a “headquarters” of the sect under late leader Abubakar Shekau.
Since then, troops have maintained heavy presence in the area to prevent a relapse.
Despite resettlement efforts by the Borno State Government, occasional raids persist, underscoring the fragile security dynamics in border communities.
Maj. Gen. Abubakar commended troops for their gallantry and reassured residents of Borno State that the military remains committed to ensuring the complete defeat of Boko Haram and its ISWAP faction.
