The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Tuesday announced that its aircraft launched airstrikes on Boko Haram hideouts in Chikide and Degbewa within the treacherous Mandara Mountains, “delivering a crippling blow to the terrorists’ stronghold and disrupting their activities.”
The Mandara Mountains are a volcanic mountain range extending along the Northern part of the Nigeria-Cameroon border, specifically in Northeast Nigeria.
Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, said in a statement that the notorious terrorist leader, Ali Ngulde, and his fighters had planned a high-level engagement at the location which had all semblance of key assembly point with heavily fortified structures equipped with solar-powered installations.
Group Captain Ali noted that with “clear evidence of an active command hub,” the NAF dispatched its aircraft to launch “precision night strike under the cover of darkness, achieving complete surprise.”
The full statement reads: “In a bold demonstration of air power and precision night warfare capabilities, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) executed a devastating nocturnal airstrike against terrorist hideouts in Chikide and Degbewa on 16 March 2025. The night operation targeted insurgent enclaves deep within the treacherous Mandara Mountains, delivering a crippling blow to the terrorists’ stronghold and disrupting their activities.
“Acting on credible Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) data, reports indicated that the notorious terrorist leader, Ali Ngulde, and his fighters had planned a high-level engagement at the location. ISR missions over the area confirmed terrorist activity at a key assembly point in Degbewa, alongside the presence of heavily fortified structures equipped with solar-powered installations – clear evidence of an active command hub.
“Following this intelligence, the NAF immediately launched a precision night strike under the cover of darkness, achieving complete surprise. The coordinated firepower extensively destroyed the terrorists’ logistics and command centre, igniting large fires that obliterated multiple structures and eliminated scores of terrorists in their hideouts. This operation against Boko Haram enclaves across the theatre significantly degraded their fighting capability while creating favourable conditions for ground troops to advance and dominate the battlespace.
“The successful execution of this night operation underscores the NAF’s growing dominance in both day and night air power capabilities, proving that insurgents can no longer operate under the cover of darkness. Through relentless precision strikes and sustained air operations, the NAF remains committed to utilising its formidable air power to neutralise terrorist networks and restore lasting peace to the region.”
