By: Zagazola Maksma
Troops of the Nigerian Army have eliminated a notorious terrorist commander, Amir Abu Fatima, who had a N100 million bounty placed on his head, during a special operation in northern Borno State.
Zagazola Makama was informed by intelligence sources that the operation, which was conducted in the early hours of Friday, was carried out by Special Forces troops of 19 Brigade of Sector 3, Operation Hadin Kai, targeting the Kukawa axis of the Lake Chad region.
Military sources confirmed to Zagazola Makama that the mission was a carefully planned terrorist leader decapitation operation aimed specifically at taking out Abu Fatima, a high-profile insurgent leader.
The elite Special Forces penetrated the terrorist enclave and engaged the militants in a fierce firefight. Abu Fatima was critically injured during the clash and was captured alive. However, he later succumbed to excessive bleeding from gunshot wounds sustained in battle.
His second-in-command, bomb-makers, and several other fighters were neutralised on the spot, according to the sources.
Items recovered from the operation include several AK-47 rifles, loaded magazines, IED-making materials, and other military-grade ordnance.
Abu Fatima had been on the most-wanted list of security agencies due to his involvement in multiple high-profile terrorist attacks in the Lake Chad basin.
His death is viewed as a major operational and psychological setback for terrorist networks operating in the region.
