Chioma Okezie-Okeh

Poignant details have emerged about how Inspector Muhammed Abubakar died during a recent counter-terrorism operation against the Ansaru terror group in Kuduru forest, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna. 

The raid on February 5 was carried out by a combined team of operatives of Operation Puff Adder (made up of Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Forces, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Special Tactical Squad (STD) and Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Abubakar, described by the Force Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police Frank Mbah, as “one of the finest officers of the Police Special Forces with vast training and operational background both at home and abroad” was one of the two casualties on the side of law enforcement agents.

Abubakar, 35, was among the pioneer set of the Police Special Forces trained in Belarus. Since he enlisted in the Nigerian Police on June 1, 2008, as a constable, he had participated in several successful police operations and joint missions with the military in the fight against insurgency in and outside the North Eastern part of the country.

One of the policemen at the theatre of operation recounted the final moment of the hero cop, how he paid the ultimate price trying to save a wounded colleague.

“It was indeed a war front; bullets were flying from one angle to the other. That was when one sergeant was struck and he could not walk again. Despite our firepower, the terrorists were still advancing towards us shooting. They were getting close to the fallen sergeant when (Abubakar) volunteered to go and rescue him. He successfully picked the wounded colleague, collected his rifle and carried him into the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC). He was about to return to his position when he was hit twice. He died on the spot,” said the source who also claimed that some of the officers who participated in the operation suffered bullets wounds.

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“Aminu, the other officer that was wounded, is in critical condition and I doubt if he will survive,” he said.

A senior police officer, reacting to the aftermath of the recent raid, told Saturday Sun the operation must be sustained lest the Ansaru terror group gain ground like the Boko Haram insurgents.

“They are spreading at an alarming rate,” he warned. “The Ansaru terror group is headed by educated and experienced persons who used to be part of Boko Haram in the North East. They are mostly natives from North West and North Central, so they decided to move down to those areas.”

According to him, the group, made up of mostly Hausa and Fulani, has camps in Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi and Jigawa.

The group reportedly forged an alliance with Dogo Gide, one of the most wanted bandits terrorizing the North West.

The group allegedly responsible for most of the high profile kidnapping cases in the North West and North Central reportedly killed their hostages whose relatives fail to pay their complete ransom.

The source told Saturday Sun: “The group is so strong that they have infiltrated several security groups fighting this war against terrorism. How else can you explain how they get information about every attack? They are always aware that we are coming no matter how discreet we may be. The last gun battle was something else. They came with their motorcycle in their numbers, the police were shooting killing and they were still approaching.”