The Nigerian Army has confirmed the elimination of a high-profile terrorist commander, Amir Abu Fatima, during a successful special operation conducted in northern Borno State.

 

The operation, carried out in the early hours of Friday by Special Forces under the 19 Brigade, Sector 3 of Operation Hadin Kai, targeted terrorist hideouts in the Kukawa axis near Lake Chad — a known stronghold of insurgent activity.

 

The development was disclosed in a post by renowned security analyst Zagazola Makama on Friday via X (formerly Twitter).

 

According to Makama, intelligence sources described the mission as a “leadership decapitation operation” focused on neutralizing Abu Fatima, who had a ₦100 million bounty on his head. Elite troops reportedly infiltrated the terrorists’ enclave and engaged the insurgents in a fierce gun battle.

 

Abu Fatima was critically wounded during the exchange and captured alive but later died from severe gunshot wounds and excessive bleeding.

 

“In addition to the death of the terror kingpin, his deputy, bomb-makers, and several other fighters were also neutralized during the operation,” Makama reported.

 

Military sources further confirmed that troops recovered a substantial cache of weapons and explosives from the scene, including AK-47 rifles, loaded magazines, improvised explosive device (IED) components, and other military-grade equipment.

 

The successful operation marks a significant blow to terrorist operations in the Lake Chad region and highlights the military’s continued resolve to dismantle insurgent networks across Nigeria’s northeast.