Troops ‘kill top Boko Haram commander Ari Gana’ in Borno

The troops of 144 battalion aided by repentant insurgents have killed Ari Gana, one of the “highly-rated” Boko Haram commanders, in Borno. 

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, Gana was killed on Monday alongside five of his bodyguards in Takaskala in Gwoza LGA of the state. 

The publication said Gana and his men met their waterloo after running into an ambush by the troops on a path around the Mandara mountains.  

“On September 25, our troops laid an ambush in the crossing point of the terrorists around the Mandara Mountains,” Zagazola Makama quoted an intelligence source as saying. 

After one hour, a large number of terrorists came to cross with motorcycles.

“On noticing that the team were two in number, the troops waited for the second badge suspecting that it was Ari Gana and his team.

“The troops opened fire at them, killing five terrorists, including Ari Gana.”

Prior to his death, the late Boko Haram commander reportedly led a recent attack on a military escort patrol at Nvaha Village along Gwoza to Limankara,  killing four passengers and military personnel. 

Gana was said to be the second in command of Ali Ngulde, the leader of Boko Haram, in Mandara mountain 

During his lifetime, Gana led dozens of attacks around the Bama, Banki and Gwoza areas of Borno. 

In early September, Gana led an improvised explosive device (IED) attack between Banki and Darajamal where many lives were lost and vehicles destroyed.