By Zagazola Makama

ABUJA, Nigeria-In what will be described as a major breakthrough in the the Nigerian military Operation in the North East  and to also confirm that all is not well within the  Boko Haram terrorists camp, as their chief bomb maker and a high ranking terrorist, Awana Gaidam was killed by his own Improvised Explosive Device(IED).

The 39-year-old chief bomb maker, apart from his high status in the command structure of the Boko Haram terrorists, he was one of their capable hands involved in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). 

Awana was believed to be responsible for plotting many  IEDs attacks  on troops of Operation Hadin Kai during fighting patrols, along major highways between Maiduguri to Damboa, Bama to Pulka and Bita as well as  Banki to Darajamal's general area.

Intelligence Sources told Zagazola Makama, a Counterinsurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region, that the bomb struck his vehicle along Njumia and Arra in the Sambisa forest, on March 27, killing him instantly.

The sources said that Awana had planted bombs in strategic positions to fortify his camp within the sambisa forest but little did he know that he plotted it against himself, which blew him and shattered his body into pieces.

Since 2022,  Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province have carried out more than 90 indiscriminate attacks in the North East  using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).

The insurgents resorted to the use of IEDs as a  result of the increased and sustained pressure by the joint efforts of the Nigerian Army, Air Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai with support of the combined troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Niger, Cameroon  and Chad in the LakeChad sub-region.

The killing of Awana, therefore  represents a serious blow to the operational capability of the Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād, terrorists group.