Troops of the
Joint Task Force operating under Operation Hadin Kai have killed a top commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), identified as Sa’ad, during a fierce gun battle in Borno State.
Security sources said the insurgent leader, who had long terrorised communities around the Lake Chad axis, was neutralised during an overnight clash in Doron Baga, located in Kukawa Local Government Area of the state.
According to the sources, the confrontation occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when a large number of ISWAP fighters launched an attack on the community.
The terrorists were said to have stormed Doron Baga at about 1:00 a.m., on motorcycles and boats through the waterways surrounding the town.
Military sources said the troops deployed superior firepower during the encounter, forcing the terrorists to retreat after suffering significant casualties.
“The insurgents came in large numbers, but the troops responded decisively. Several terrorists were neutralised during the exchange,” a security source familiar with the operation said.
The fighters reportedly fled the area while carrying many of their dead and injured.
However, intelligence sources confirmed on Wednesday that Sa’ad, one of the group’s most feared commanders operating around Lake Chad, was among those killed during the battle.
Residents in the area later reported that the militant leader was buried the same day following Islamic rites.
Sa’ad was widely known in the Lake Chad region for coordinating violent attacks on farmers, fishermen and traders, as well as enforcing illegal levies on local economic activities.
Security sources said he controlled significant portions of the waterways around Doron Baga and neighbouring fishing settlements, where he imposed illegal taxation on fishermen.
Under his control, residents were allegedly forced to pay levies before they could access the waters to fish, with militants issuing what were effectively “permits” for fishing activities.
A member of the
Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), who operates in the area, described Sa’ad as one of the key figures responsible for persistent attacks on communities in the Lake Chad basin.
“He was behind many attacks on farmers and fishermen. People feared him because his fighters constantly harassed communities and collected illegal taxes,” the CJTF operative said.
