Two Boko Haram commanders, Ibrahim Muhammed and Auwal Muhammed, alias “Wanka’’, surrendered to troops of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Monguno, Borno on Monday.
The MNJTF is a combined multinational formation comprising military units from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.
It is headquartered in N’Djamena and is mandated to bring an end to Boko Haram insurgency.
Chief of Military Public Information of the MNJTF, Lt.-Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, stated on Tuesday that the two insurgents escaped from the Kwalaram/Bakura Buduma camps after fighting for more than a decade.
He added that the former Boko Haram commanders caved in as a result of intensified kinetic and non-kinetic operations targeting terrorist groups within Sector 3 of the MNJTF.
Abdullahi stated also that during investigation, the two Muhammeds admitted to their long-standing affiliation with the Bakura Buduma camp where they had fought for 15 years in Kwalaram, in Marte, Borno.
“The recovery of various items from the surrendering terrorists underscores the significance of this development.
“Items recovered from Ibrahim Muhammed were two AK-47 rifles, three AK-47 magazines, 90 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, two magazine carriers and one mobile phone set.
“From Auwal Mohammed, we recovered five magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62millimeter special ammunition, one X-mobile phone, two hand grenades and one X hand-held radio,’’ Abdullahi stated