Nigerian Army Kill Boko Haram Top Commander In Borno, Lose Five Soldiers During Clash

The Nigerian Army has killed a Boko Haram Commander identified as Abatcha during an encounter that claimed the life of five soldiers in Borno State.

A source said the clash happened on Saturday in Rann, the headquarters of KalaBalge Local Government, about 350km from Maiduguri and bordered the Chad Republic.

“We saw the soldiers carrying corpses of five fallen colleagues after the encounter on Saturday,” One of the leaders of the community using Orange network informed newsmen in Maiduguri.

According to him, many of the insurgents also died in the battle that lasted several hours.

“The militants withdrew after ”Abatcha’ a top commander was hit, ” He added.

Similarly, the Nigerian Army lost a Commanding Officer and seven soldiers in a battle with the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP militants in Ajiri on Sunday.

Ajiri is a community in Mara Local Government Area of Borno State, which is about 52km from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Locals said the battle was fierce as the militants overran the military base and hoisted their flag.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed report says that Boko Haram has announced ceasefire for 10 days to enable Muslims complete the Ramadan fasting and worship.

The insurgents have been fighting almost on a daily basis since the beginning of the Ramadan. Residents in Maiduguri, however, are skeptical about such promise. According to them, Boko Haram has made similar promises before, only to launch deadly attacks.

The insurgency in its eleventh year has displaced over two million people in the northeast region. Over 37,000 people were also said to have been killed since the conflict began in 2009.

IN OTHER NEWS: A former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, has distanced himself from the alleged link with the late Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf.