Reports have emerged that a top-ranking member of Boko Haram, Awana Gaidam, was killed along with his vehicle by his own Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the Sambisa forest on 27 March.
Raw Nigeria learnt that He mistakenly stepped on the explosives which he planted for troops and died instantly.
Gaidam was reportedly one of the terrorist’s most skilled bomb makers, and is believed to have been one of the leaders of the group.
He is responsible for a number of IED attacks in the Damboa-Bita-Banki-Darajamal area, along with other major highways in the northeastern state.
His death represents a significant loss for the terrorist group, which has relied heavily on the use of IEDs to stage attacks.
Since 2022, there have been more than 90 IED attacks in the northeast by Boko Haram and ISWAP.
The bombing campaign has been stepped up in response to increased military pressure from Operation Hadin Kai and its multilateral counterparts.
The death of Gaidam is therefore a significant blow to the group’s operational capabilities in the region.
