“During the offensive and in a counter-attack, a major commander of the Boko Haram terrorist sect commanding the northwest and the northeast, Ibn Saleh Ibrahim, with some of his commanders and foot soldiers, were killed by (our) own operation troops,” a military statement, signed by Lt.col Sagir Musa, said of Thursday’s operation in the northeastern city of Maiduguri.
“The late Ibn Saleh was confirmed to be responsible for the recent assassination of Civil War hero, the late General Mamman Shuwa, through the orders of the leader of the Boko Haram terrorists, Abubakar Shekau.”
Sagir Musa said: “In a sustained follow-up operation, the combined troops of the JTF, the State Security Service (SSS), supported by armoured personnel carriers conducted a major offensive operation in Maiduguri.
“The operations took place at Ngarnam, Bulabulim and Bayern Quarters against insurgent terrorists,” Musa said.
“Several weapons, ammunitions and Improvised Explosive Devise (IEDs) were recovered during the operation.
“The operation is still ongoing to get other terrorists in hiding.”
Nigeria’s military has however frequently exaggerated its successes against Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, whose insurgency in the country’s northern and central regions has left hundreds of people dead.
The claim from the military could not be independently verified.
The statement called it a “major offensive” that included armoured vehicles and helicopters.
The retired general, a key figure in the 1960s civil war, was shot dead on November 2 by what was then described as unidentified gunmen at his home in Maiduguri, the city hardest hit by the Boko Haram
General Mohammed Shuwa: assassinated
He also served as a senior leader in the 1975-76 junta of Murtala Mohammed.
In an interview at his home in May, Shuwa pulled out a handgun that he said he carried for his own protection and told AFP that anyone could potentially be targetted by Boko Haram in the violence-torn city.
Boko Haram has carried out scores of targeted assassinations in addition to bombings and shootings. The insurgency has left some 3,000 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.
The group has claimed to be seeking an Islamic state in Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer, though its demands have repeatedly shifted.
It is also believed to include a number of factions with differing aims in addition to criminal gangs and imitators who have carried out violence under the guise of the group.
At the same time, Nigeria’s military has been accused of widespread abuses in its bid to crack down on the Islamists, including killings of civilians, burnings of homes and unlawful detentions.
Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International recently issued reports accusing the military of major abuses in response to Boko Haram.
Human Rights Watch alleged that Nigerian security forces as well as Boko Haram may both be guilty of crimes against humanity.
PMNews
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