Nigerian military forces have killed 18 terrorists and cleared insurgent strongholds across the Bulabulin Forest and Timbuktu axis in Borno State in coordinated operations, while the armed forces simultaneously issued a direct public warning to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji that sustained intelligence-led operations were steadily closing in on him and that his eventual capture or elimination was inevitable.
Troops of the Joint Task Force North-East Operation Hadin Kai, working alongside the Sector 2 Stabilization Force Brigade and the Civilian Joint Task Force, conducted the clearance operations under Operation Desert Sanity V, supported by assault air platforms from the Air Component Command.
On the Bulabulin Forest axis, troops cleared terrorist enclaves at Mar, Subdu, Yaro Lawanti, and Yaro Shuwari, destroying all identified life-support structures. Subsequent exploitation of the area yielded nine AK-47 rifles, three PKT anti-aircraft machine guns, five motorcycles, assorted ammunition, and materials used in the fabrication of improvised explosive devices, significantly disrupting terrorist logistics and operational capability within the axis.
Along the Timbuktu axis at the Wajiroko-Sabongari corridor, troops engaged terrorists with air support and maintained their positions throughout the engagement. Exploitation of the area confirmed seven neutralized terrorists, while blood trails and other physical evidence indicated significantly higher overall casualties. Recovered items included AK-47 rifles, RPG tubes, a large ammunition cache, bandoliers, and communication equipment.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, addressing the monthly armed forces briefing in Abuja, confirmed that troops remained actively on Turji’s trail. “One of these days, you will hear that he has been taken out, because he cannot hide for long or forever. At some point, he will slip up, and the troops will take advantage of that,” he said.
Onoja also addressed questions about the closed-door trial of alleged coup plotters, urging patience while assuring that all information necessary for public knowledge would be provided at the appropriate time. On US military assistance, he confirmed that American training and intelligence support had contributed significantly to operational successes over the preceding four weeks.
