The Nigerian Army has successfully eliminated Amir Abu Fatima, a notorious terrorist commander with a ₦100 million bounty on his head, during a special operation conducted in northern Borno State.

The operation was carried out in the early hours of Friday by Special Forces of the 19 Brigade, Sector 3, Operation Hadin Kai, targeting terrorist strongholds in the Kukawa axis of the Lake Chad region, according to security analyst Zagazola Makama who shared details of the mission on social media platform X.

Intelligence sources confirmed that the mission was specifically designed as a terrorist leader decapitation operation aimed at neutralizing Abu Fatima. The elite troops infiltrated the terrorists' enclave and engaged them in a fierce gunfight.

During the exchange, Abu Fatima was critically wounded and initially captured alive. However, he later succumbed to his injuries, dying from excessive bleeding caused by gunshot wounds sustained in the battle.

"In addition to the death of the terror kingpin, his second-in-command, bomb-makers, and several other fighters were also neutralised during the operation," Makama reported.

Military sources revealed that the troops recovered a significant cache of weapons and explosives from the scene, including AK-47 rifles, loaded magazines, improvised explosive device (IED) materials, and other military-grade equipment.

This operation represents another significant blow to terrorist groups operating in Nigeria's northeast region, where the military has intensified efforts to eliminate remaining pockets of insurgency that have plagued the area for over a decade.

The successful elimination of high-profile terrorist leaders like Abu Fatima demonstrates the Nigerian military's continued commitment to restoring peace and security in the region through targeted operations against terrorist leadership structures.