The Defence Headquarters announced on Wednesday that Aminu Kanawa, the second-in-command to notorious terrorist leader Bello Turji, has been killed by troops of Operation Fansan Yamma. This development comes after the military killed Turji’s fighters and son during clearance operations on his hideout .
The military also inflicted serious injuries on some of Turji’s close allies, including his younger brother, Dosso, and Danbokolo, one of Turji’s closest allies. Additionally, troops neutralized several of Turji’s key commanders, including Abu Dan Shehu, Jabbi Dogo, and Dan Kane .
The Defence Headquarters had previously vowed to capture or kill Turji in 2025, following his repeated mockery of the military and challenge to engage them in combat. The military has reaffirmed its commitment to capturing Turji, despite the recent surrender of two terrorist leaders in the North-West region .
The outgoing Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, stated that the death of Turji’s second-in-command, close allies, commanders, and combatants is a significant blow to the terrorist network in the North-West. The military operations aim to create an atmosphere of safety and security for all citizens .
In a related development, the Defence Headquarters reported that troops killed 10,937 terrorists, arrested 12,538 others, and rescued 7,063 hostages in 2024. The military also recovered 8,815 weapons, 228,004 ammunitions, and denied oil theft worth an estimated N68.5 billion .
