Troops from the Theatre Command, North East, ‘Operation Hadin Kai’ have successfully killed Tahir Baga, a top commander of Jam’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihd, also known as Boko Haram.
The feat was achieved following the continuation of the troops’ major offensive at terrorist enclaves in the Sambisa forest.
Sources revealed that Tahir was neutralised on May 13, 2024, when the troops unleashed a major operation codenamed: Operation Desert Sanity III, mowed down terrorists’ enclaves of Shababul Umma, Garin Panel Beater and Lagara Anguwan Gwaigwai in the heart of the forest.
Intelligence sources and Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in the Lake Chad region also confirmed the incident, yesterday.
It was gathered that in the course of the offensive, contact was made with the terrorists, which led to the defeat of the terrorist top commander as well as some of his lieutenants while several others escaped with gunshot wounds.
“Tahir Baga, was a close ally to Abubakar Shekau. He was among the first sets who founded the Boko Haram movement in Maiduguri before moving into Sambisa forest with the likes of Mamman Nur, Khalid Albarnawi, Abubakar Shekau, Kaka Ali, Mustapha Chad, Abu Maryam and Abu Krimima.
“Tahir Baga was a revered Imam, who was respected among the sect group. He had on several occasions truncated efforts of many fighters and their families to surrender and has also pushed many underaged girls to go on suicide bombing after convincing that they will be granted paradise as an everlasting reward,”
the source said.
“The killing of Tahir Baga is a major blow to the Boko Haram terrorist group.”
Another source said: “The neutralising and sacking of terrorist communities, also led to the rescue of 14 persons comprising four women and 10 children from the terrorists captivity.
“The troops firepower overwhelmed the rampaging terrorists, who fled in different directions, abandoning their weapons and other equipment.”
