On Saturday evening, after months of avoiding security forces, a notorious armed bandit, Alhaji Abdulkareem Lawal, and 27 others were killed by aggressive bombardments of Nigerian military airstrikes in Katsina State.
According to reports, Abdulkareem Lawal, also known as Abdulkareem Boss by his criminal companions, was a high-valued target on the radar of the Nigerian military and other security agencies for a time.
The precision airstrikes came barely a week after the service chiefs reassured President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians at the last National Security Council meeting that there would be a change in strategy and momentum in the fight against insurgency and terrorism, and the Chief of the Air Staff’s directive to Nigerian Air Force (NAF) operational and air component commanders to “show no mercy” in decimating terrorists and insurgents in the country.
The wanted criminal was based in Safana Local Government Area’s Marina area and was responsible for multiple terrorist acts, livestock rustling, and kidnappings.
Boss was known to invite terrorist groups from different places and regions to help him in attacks on targets on a regular basis.
He was a member of the terrorist gang that carried out the attacks that resulted in the death of the Nigerian Police Area Commander of Dutsin Ma on July 5, 2022.
An intelligence military officer confirmed the death of Abdulkareem Boss, saying that the terror boss was killed in a precision hit alongside 27 of his foot men at Rugu Forest. In a related development, similar bombardments were carried out against terrorist hideouts in the Abuja area.
Terrorists were orchestrating threats against Abuja from their hideouts in Kaduna, Niger, and Zamfara states, according to credible intelligence.
“In light of this, NAF aircraft were dispatched under Operation Whirl Punch to conduct intensive air interdiction operations in Giwa, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, and Chikun LGAs in Kaduna State, and Kusasu, Kwaki, and Kukere LGAs in Niger State, to degrade/neutralize the terrorists within their identified hideouts.”
“The places attacked by NAF aircraft thus far include Jan Birni, Kusasu, Kauwuri, Kwaki, Ukambo Hill within the Kwiambana forest, and Alhaji Chorki.”
“These places were hit forcefully and were struck in multiple passes until they caught fire; some casualties who were discovered fighting to flee for safety were effectively swept up,” a military air commander stated.
The actions were designed to deter them from further plotting mayhem in Kaduna and Niger states, as well as the neighboring areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
When contacted, the Nigerian Airforce Spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, stated that the successes of the air strikes demonstrate the military’s unwavering commitment to ridding the entire Northern region as well as the FCT of terrorism in collaboration with other security agencies and restoring peace and sanity.
He went on to say that “operational commanders have also been urged to maintain the momentum and guarantee that terrorists and insurgents’ freedom of movement is kept to a bare minimum.”
