Boko Haram terrorists have slaughtered 33 wives of the rival Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, in Sambisa Forest, Borno State.
The slaughtering of the ISWAP wives was reportedly triggered by the recent killing of Boko Haram Commander, Malam Aboubakar and 15 others in a fierce gun battle in one of the forest camps.
A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed, on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, in Maiduguri: “Since December 3, 2022, a top Boko Haram leader in charge of Mandara Mountains in Gwoza Council, Ali Ngulde, has led hundreds of fighters to wage war against ISWAP in the Forest.”
According to military sources, in Maiduguri, the attack commenced with a failed negotiation initiated by Boko Haram commanders, who invited ISWAP and said they were ready to surrender to its leadership.
“Unknown to ISWAP, Ngulde and his team had laid an ambush against them, in which at least 12 of them were killed in Yuwe,” Makama said, adding that others escaped with gunshot wounds into the forest.
Besides, he said the Boko Haram terrorists seized four gun trucks and other weapons of ISWAP and set them ablaze. On how the 33 women were killed, he said: “Shortly after the victory, the Boko Haram fighters mobilised more fighters from Abu Ikilima’s camp at Gaizuwa, Gabchari, Mantari, and Mallum Masari to attack more ISWAP positions in Ukuba, Arra, Sabil Huda and Farisu,” adding that 23 fighters were killed in the multiple clashes.
“A few hours later, a top ISWAP leader, Ba’ana Chingori, called for a declaration of war by leading a handful of fighters to carry out reprisal attacks on Boko Haram in Farisu. The attack paid off as the ISWAP neutralised 15 Boko Haram terrorists, including a unit Commander, Malam Aboubakar (Munzir), and seized seven motorcycles.
“The ISWAP group later retreated and took a position at the Izzah camp.” He continued that the ISWAP fighters moved to Garin Abbah, two kilometres away, and waited for the Boko Haram terrorists.
“Instead of going to meet the ISWAP rivals to continue with the fight, the Boko Haram elements made a detour and headed to where their wives were and killed 33 of them.
“We believe that in the coming days, ISWAP fighters are likely to react to the brutal killing of their wives,” he said.
