Borno CJTF Commander Killed In ISWAP IED Attack

A prominent commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) was killed when suspected ISWAP terrorists detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which targeted his vehicle near Baga in Kukawa local government area of Borno State.

Security sources said the incident occurred on a route near the Lake Chad axis, where the commander was travelling when the explosive device went off.

The sources, according to Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency expert, disclosed that the deceased was known for his support for ongoing counterinsurgency operations against terrorists in the North-East.

The sources said the explosion destroyed the vehicle and resulted in the instant death of the CJTF commander.

The terrorists were suspected to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction notorious for planting IEDs along major access roads and targeting security personnel and pro-government militias in the Lake Chad region.

It could be recalled that the Nigerian military had, in its recent statement ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, issued a security advisory to residents of Borno and the Northeast, based on intelligence that revealed Boko Haram terrorists might carry out IED attacks during the sallah celebration.

Thus, it warned residents to be wary of their movements, cautioning them to avoid crowded locations and to spot and report any suspicious objects.