Boko Haram: Shekau tops new list of 55 wanted terrorists
The military has released a fresh list of 55 wanted Boko Haram terrorists even as it maintained the counter-insurgency operation in the North-East was succeeding.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Abayomi Olonishakin, who unveiled the list at the Military Command and Control Centre (MCCC) of the Operation Lafiya Dole headquarters, Maimalari Cantonement of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri yesterday, urged Nigerians to help in tracking down the wanted terrorists.
'With this launch of additional list of wanted terrorists, it is hoped that the public will collaborate to identify the wanted Boko Haram insurgents wherever they are. I urged all to facilitate in tracking them down for the good and development of the country,' the defence chief stated.
He said the military has provided a safe-landing platform through its Operation Save Corridors for Boko Haram insurgents, who wish to repent and forsake terrorism.
Earlier, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, said the first list of over 100 wanted Boko Haram insurgents was released by the military in late 2015. He said the second list of another set of 198 men was equally released early 2016, adding that the new list-the third, include 55 Boko Haram members.
He said the launch of the new list was for emphasis and for the civil populace to focus on the challenges of terrorism. He urged the people to provide useful information to the military concerning the whereabouts of the wanted persons, promising that the information will be treated with 'utmost secrecy.'
Prominent faces on the wanted lists is supposedly killed Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram leader, one of the top commanders (Amir), Mamman Nur (no 217 on the list), Abu Musab Al-Banarwi (no 192 and believed to be the first son of slain Mohammed Yusuf, Boko Haram founder), Abu Fatima (no 230), Man Chari (28) and Abu Zinnirah (a.k.a Tasi'u), who is no 231. Zinnirah had once interfaced for Boko Haram in a telephone conference with journalists in Maiduguri early 2014.
Meanwhile, there was tension in Makalama, a village just 15 kilometres from Chibok in Borno State, at the weekend during an attack by Boko Haram.
Hassan Usman, a resident of the village, disclosed this to reporters, saying it happened on Saturday.
Usman said but for the intervention of the military, the entire village would have been burnt down.
'The attack happened two days ago, the road they (Boko Haram) normally passed through had been blocked by the military, so they took another axis and attacked Makalama, which is 15 kilometres away from Chibok,' Usman said.
'We were all afraid. Thank God, there was no casualty. The military moved in and repelled them, though they dropped an explosive on the road, it did not affect the military, but a vehicle which had contact with it, got destroyed, but the driver escaped.