Boko Haram commander killed on Lake Chad island

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - A top Boko Haram commander and 15 other militants were killed by West African regional counterterrorism forces, according to a military spokesman.

“In the ensuing firefight, Malloum Moussa, Boko Haram Commander, along with 15 of his men were neutralized,” army spokesman Timothy Antigha said in a statement Sunday night.

Antigha said five gun trucks were also destroyed in the encounter in Kerenoa, an island around the Lake Chad.

He said a woman whose relationship with the terrorists has yet to be ascertained was also apprehended.

“Information gathered has revealed that Malloum Moussa who had one eye was a high ranking Boko Haram Commander who had jurisdiction in the entire southern islands, including Daban Masara, Kirta Wulgo and Koleram,” Antigha said.

“He was notorious for imposing hefty levies on farmers, fishermen and cattle herders to fund Boko Haram terrorism and Insurgency in the locality,” he added.