Nigerian troops capture 3 Boko Haram commanders, rescue 1,275 persons

Three Boko Haram commanders were on Monday captured by Nigerian troops and the Multinational Joint Task Force from Cameroon during a joint military operation along Nigeria-Cameroon border.

The Boko Haram commanders – Lawal Abba, Mallam Hisna and Mallam Gana – were captured in Shatte, Bulla Jaja and Bula Burra towns, the military said.

The troops also killed 22 other terrorists, and rescued 1,275 persons that were held hostage, according to information released on Tuesday by the Nigerian army.

The troops cleared some towns and adjoining settlements, namely Nbaga, Bula, Dabube, Ybiri, Greya and Suduwa, said to have been occupied by fleeing Boko Haram terrorists who had escaped from villages previously cleared by the Nigerian army.

The operation swept through more than 10 suspected Boko Haram hideouts along the border.

Meanwhile, the army has asked Nigerians to be vigilant and security conscious, as Boko Haram terrorists were fleeing Sambisa forest due to aerial bombardments and ground assaults.

“The public are please requested to be observant and report any suspicious persons or group of persons to the military or any of the security agencies to enable timely detection and apprehension of the fleeing insurgents before they mingle with the society and commit havoc,” the army said.