The Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, has reported the surrender of a high-ranking Boko Haram Deputy Commander, Awana Alhaji Mele Keremi, along with nine others in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
This information was disclosed in a statement issued by the Chief Military Information Officer of MNJTF in N’djamena, Chad, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, to newsmen in Maiduguri on Monday.
The statement highlighted the significance of the surrender, describing it as a major success in the ongoing counterterrorism efforts in the region.
The statement reads, “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.”
In a related development, MNJTF troops also received Babagoni Modu and a family of eight who escaped from a Boko Haram camp in Marte.
“Modu, a former member of the terrorist group, cited his disillusionment with their violent activities as the reason for his escape,” Osoba stated.
“The family, comprising two women, four men, and two children, recounted the harrowing experiences they endured at the hands of the terrorists before their daring escape.”
The statement further emphasised that these recent surrenders demonstrate the MNJTF’s commitment to combating terrorism and ensuring the security of the Lake Chad region.
The MNTJF is a regional military unit made up of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, formed to address the security threats in the Lake Chad Basin.
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