By Becky Usman

Troops from the 144 Battalion, working with hybrid forces, successfully neutralized a prominent Boko Haram commander named Ari Ghana and five of his bodyguards in Borno State. This operation took place in Takaskala, Gwoza Local Government Area, as reported by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst.

According to intelligence sources, the troops set up an ambush on September 25 near the terrorists’ crossing point in the Mandara Mountains. When a large group of terrorists, including Ari Gana, approached on motorcycles, the troops engaged them, killing five terrorists, including Ari Gana himself. Ari Gana had been acting as the deputy to Ali Ngulde, the leader of Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram in the Mandara Mountains and had been involved in numerous attacks in Borno State.

In another development, troops from the 195 Battalion, part of the Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, successfully rescued nine local farmers who had been kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists near Maiwa village in Mafa local government area of Borno state. Among the rescued farmers were three women and six men, and the troops also recovered an AK-47 rifle, one magazine, and 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.