Hunger forces top Boko Haram commander to surrender

A top commander of Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād (JAS), Ari-Difinoma, has surrendered to the Nigerian Army.

The insurgent joins over 52,000 members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists and their families who have so far surrendered to the Nigerian troops.

According to a counter-insurgency expert and security analyst, Zagazola Makama, the Boko Haram commander and preacher surrendered on Monday, May 16, 2022.

It was learned that Ari-Difinoma surrendered and laid down his arms and ammunition to the troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade Bama, Operation Hadin Kai in Borno State.

The Boko Haram commander was said to have been forced out of his hideout following sustained bombardment by troops of Operation Hadin Kai and the supremacy battle between Boko Haram and ISWAP.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram radical priest, leader, surrenders

It was gathered that ISWAP had launched a surprise attack against Boko Haram at Ukuba camp forcing the insurgents to flee from their hideout.

Ari-Difinoma and other insurgents ran to hide in a small village located in Mantari, within the axis of Bama Local Government but were forced out of their hideout by hunger and unending artillery bombardments by the Nigerian troops.

The Boko Ham top chieftain was said to have decided to abandon the rest of his colleagues and ran out to surrender himself to the troops.

Ari-Difinoma ran one of the radicalisation schools in Ukuba Camp in Sambisa Forest under the Darul-Qur’an.

The radical preacher has recruited many children and youths through the teaching of extremists’ ideologues in the past 10 years.