The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has said that a notorious terrorist and Boko Haram deputy commander identified as Awana Alhaji Mele Keremi and others surrendered to its troops in the fringe of the Lake Chad region.
Olaniyi Osoba, a lieutenant colonel, who is the chief military information officer, MNJTF N’djamena, Chad, disclosed this to journalists in Maiduguri on Monday.
Osoba said the capitulation of the high-ranking terrorist, and a successful disposal of explosive devices, represented a significant victory in the ongoing campaign against terrorism in the area.
“In a major breakthrough in the fight against terrorism, in the Lake Chad region a high-ranking Boko Haram deputy commander, identified as Awana Alhaji Mele Keremi, has surrendered to the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Cross Kauwa.
“Keremi, who served as the right-hand man to a notorious Boko Haram commander, confessed to his involvement in numerous terrorist operations along the Monguno-Baga axis, providing valuable intelligence to the authorities,” Osoba said in a statement he released to journalists.
In a related development, the MNJTF troops said one Babagoni Modu and a family of eight managed to escape from a Boko Haram camp in the Marte area.
“Modu, a former member of the terrorist group, cited his disillusionment with their violent activities as the reason for his escape.
“The family, comprising two women, four men, and two children, recounted the harrowing experiences they endured in the hands of the terrorists before their daring escape.”
The statement added that these recent developments underscore the commitment of the MNJTF to combat terrorism and safeguard the Lake Chad region.
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