Following months of evading security forces, a notorious bandit, Alhaji Abdulkareem Lawal, and 27 others have been eliminated by aggressive bombardments of the Nigerian military airstrikes in Katsina State, on Saturday evening.
Lawal, who is popularly called Abdulkareem Boss by his criminal colleagues, was a high-valued target on the radar of the Nigerian military and other security agencies for a while. The precision airstrikes came barely a week after service chiefs, at the last National Security Council meeting, reassured President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians that there would be a change in strategy and momentum in the fight against insurgency and terrorism and the Chief of the Air Staff’s directive to Nigerian Air Force (NAF) operational and air component commanders to ‘show no mercy’ in decimating terrorists and insurgents.
The wanted criminal was based in the Marina area of Safana council area, and was responsible for several terrorist attacks, animal rustling and kidnappings.
Boss was known to regularly invite terrorist groups from other areas and regions to join him in attacks on targets.
Specifically, he was part of the terrorist group that carried out attacks that eventually led to the death of the Nigerian Police Area Commander of Dutsin Ma on July 5.
Confirming the killing of Abdulkareem Boss, an intelligence military officer said that the terror kingpin was neutralised in a precision air strike alongside 27 of his foot soldiers at Rugu forest.
In a related development, similar bombardments were also conducted on terrorists’ hideouts around Abuja.
According to credible intelligence, threat within Abuja was being orchestrated by terrorists from their hideouts within Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara states.
“In view of this, NAF aircraft under Operation Whirl Punch were dispatched to undertake intensive air interdiction operation to degrade/neutralize the terrorists within their identified hideouts in Giwa, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru and Chikun LGA in Kaduna State and Kusasu, Kwaki and Kukere council areas in Niger State.
“So far, the identified locations hit by NAF aircraft include Jan Birni, Kusasu, Kauwuri, Kwaki, Ukambo Hill within the Kwiambana forest, as well as Alhaji Chorki Location.
“These locations have been attacked decisively and were struck in successive passes until they went into flames, some casualties who were spotted to be struggling to scamper for safety were effectively mopped up,” a military air commander added.
Spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, Edward Gabkwet said the successes of the air strikes underscore the indefectible commitment of the military to rid the entire Northern region, as well as the FCT of terrorism.