The leader of the Boko Haram Islamic sect, Sheikh Abubakar Shekau, may have been cornered by operatives of the Joint Task Force in Gwoza hills, Borno State.

A top security source told Saturday PUNCH on Thursday that the JTF had located the area where the Boko Haram leader was hiding.

The source stated, “We are combing Gwoza hills where we believe Shekau is hiding.”

The source added that a unit of the Army’s Special Forces team had launched a “well-coordinated assault” on a group of insurgents somewhere in the Gwoza hills areas on June 26, 2013. Shekau, the source added, was in the group of Islamists, with some of his closest aides.

He added that the operation ran into “hitches” and in the ensuing gun battle some of the insurgents and members of the Special Forces group lost their lives.

Another military source told Saturday PUNCH that one of the army casualties was one of the country’s best Special Forces officer, Major A.T. Fambiya, who had volunteered to lead the operation.

Sources told Saturday PUNCH five soldiers were also gunned down by the insurgents during the encounter.

Fambiya, who hailed from Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, had reportedly volunteered for the mission because of his excellent knowledge of the area.

The source said the military authorities had accepted Fambiya’s offer because he had grown up in the area and he understood the area’s rocky terrain.

Fambiya, who was on posting to the 322 Artillery Regiment in Benin City, Edo State, was redeployed to the JTF on June 13, 2013, a few weeks into his deployment to the JTF’s Operation Boyona.

A brief biography of the late soldier presented by the Nigerian Army authorities during his burial at the Nigerian Military Cemetery, Abuja on Thursday stated that he “was killed in action on 26 June in a fierce encounter with Boko Haram terrorists.”

The secrecy surrounding the operation made the next of kin to the Major, a pastor, Iliya Joshua, to call on the Federal Government to investigate the cause of the death of his brother.

“We call on the Federal Government to investigate the rumoured cause of the death of the officers since it remains a mystery to our family,” he said, without giving any explanation about what he meant by “rumoured death”.

Iliya later told our correspondent that he made the call to the Federal Government and the military authorities to investigate the deaths because his brother was not supposed to be in Borno.

He said that the late major was supposed to be undergoing training at the Nigerian Army School of Artillery, Kantagora, Niger State.

He said, “I made the call because he was supposed to be at the Army school of artillery. The last time I called him, he said that he was not part of those people that were going to Maiduguri for this operation.

“But later, I was told that he had been killed. He was not supposed to be on posting to that place.”

When our correspondent contacted the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen Chris Olukolade, he said that the mandate of the JTF was to look for all insurgents and not just the leader of the Boko Haram sect.

“We know that we are combing everywhere for every insurgent. The pursuit of the insurgents is continuing. That is the mandate at the moment,” he said.

President Goodluck Jonathan had told the CNN a few days ago that the Boko Haram threat would be overcome by security operatives in the country.

He said that the Federal Government was neither negotiating nor begging the Islamic militants as steps were being taken to deal decisively with the scourge.

He had said, “We are not negotiating with Boko Haram. It is done all over the world. It is not negotiation. We are not begging.

“Our security architecture was first designed to deal with ordinary criminals but since terror started, we have been building it. I believe if you are to interview me again in three months’ time, you will praise me that this government has tried.

“We are tackling terror from various angles. We must first of all stop them through military intervention, which we have initiated by declaring a state of emergency in three states where these terror attacks are predominant.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/army-corners-boko-haram-leader-shekau-in-borno-hills/



Finally the supposed head of the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria was surrounded by the Nigerian Army in a hilly terrain in Borno state, unfortunately gallant men of the Army paid with their dear lives for us to have peace, May their souls rest in peace.

Finally!!!! I hope this is true before i start dancing alingoazontokukereetigiyahuzee!!!

WOW!!!! Any Link to back-up the tales?? This is too Good 2b True!!

Is the plan to corner him or arrest/kill him?.... like.... what exactly is this news? (other than ambiguous?)

... and I aint too happy losing this FTC glory again while trying to verify what exactly this release by the media is....

There should be freedom of speech, in journalism etc... but common sense and professionalism shouldn't be too much to ask for.... I really don't know what to say, which emotion to have.... besides sad for the lost lives of our gallant ... well... lemme say brave military men. (The word "gallant" is reserved for.... a different and special kinda army that once was.... )

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tmaigari: Finally the supposed head of the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria was surrounded by the Nigerian Army in a hilly terrain in Borno state, unfortunately gallant men of the Army paid with their dear lives for us to have peace, May their souls rest in peace.

http://mobile.saharareporters.com/news-page/army-corners-boko-haram-leader-shekau-borno-hills-punch-newspaper

Let him be caught first, the we will celebrate.

Na surrounding we dey ask for abi make dem catch the guy ..mstchew

there is no story in this at all

Gengeh! Police catch d tiff! Heheheheh

Am tired of all dix suspect tinz..I tot he was been surrounded by d JTF...mtchwww.
To those dat lost their lives..RIP.
And to dose that are still alive,u beta come back here and come and take some OKIGBE,BANTE,IGBADI,IFUNPA,OSANYIN,AJAN and others.After that u would'nt be needing ur guns,a matchet and stick will just be fine

When America caught/killed osama bin laden, we didn't hear a similar news o.
We woke up and heard the news..
OSAMA KILLED!!!
*dazall*

They should pls catch him and kill him on live tv

A soldier died in a volunteer action and the brother is asking for Investigation. . . hmmm.

This tory get K-Leg! Is it to report the near capture of the devil incarnate or the suspicious circumstances sorrounding the death of an officer?

kudos to the boys....keep it up,we shall destroy the enemy of our nation sooon.

if its too good to be true, then its not true

We Need the pics oooo... Nt dis

I hope tomoro someone won't come on Yutube to say he's †ђξ real Shekau †ђξ one been surrounded might be †ђξ second in Command or probably †ђξ wrong person!!! So its too early to start dancing Azonto!!!

The end of boko terrorism is near. Initially Igbos wia killed and it made d hausas happy. Not until evry man left dia state and no one to kil bt dia selves that it dawned on dem dat diz pple re evil. Hence d beginin of civilian JTF.
Indi Ara

6th to comment.....cant believe this....testimony in church tomorrow.

Dawdy: Let him be caught first, the we will celebrate.

I salute ur grammar

Great news.kill them all

mayordsenator20: kudos to the boys....keep it up,we shall destroy the enemy of our nation sooon.

While u fold ur hands in ur sittin room?

Any update yet?

the earlier he is caught.. The better.....




Maybe, mutaspha should lead the operations

Oooopppppppeeee oooooooooo

Wetin go vex me nah

k

That bald goat must go down.

moneybag4411: 6th to comment.....cant believe this....testimony in church tomorrow.

what do u mean by 6th to comment when we are discussing a very important issue any way 8th to comment

tnk God

What happened to making this info "CLASSIFIED"
Damn, the media and nl mods just like to dey fuq up...

We dont need this bullshit.. All we wanna hear is "shekau caught or killed"

shikena

i know all of una,if it is the news is saying something against jonathan now then all of u will be shouting and running ur mouth anyhow that it's sahara reporters the news is fake can't be true but when it's saying something good about ur good for nothing,clueless,retardeen president all of u are applauding the news but reverse is it for me as all of u used to say "this is sahara reporters the guys don't use to say good news the news is fake i don't believe them if u have another better source come and call me not this sahara reports"