The military on Wednesday announced that it had killed the second-in-command of the Boko Haram sect saying this was achieved while its officials repelled an insurgent attack earlier this month.
A statement by the military said there had been a bounty of 25 million naira ($156,000, 117,000 euros) on the head of Momodu Bama, who was popularly known as Abu Saad.
According to the statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, “during the Boko Haram terrorists’ attack on 4 August, 2013 (troops) killed Momodu Bama.”
The statement said Bama was the terrorists’ operation officer and second-in-command to Abubakar Shekau, who is the Boko Haram commander declared a global terrorist by the United States.
The statement said he was killed in the town of Bama in northeastern Borno state, Boko Haram’s traditional stronghold.
The military had previously said that the August 4 clashes in the town were sparked by an attack on a police base, which saw 17 insurgents killed in gunbattles. Among the killed insurgents was Bama.
So far, over 3,600 people have been killed since 2009 when they began their attacks.
Though the military has continued to wallow in self-praise announcing severally how it had killed some commanders of the sect, this has not reduced attacks.
It is believed that such attacks have only succeeded in pushing the sect members into remote areas where they have continued to strike.
For example, an attack by the sect on a mosque and village at the weekend resulted in the death of about 59 people.
Last month, the sect members attacked a secondary school in the village of Mamudo killing 41 students and one teacher.
