Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) has confirmed the killing of Malam Bako, the successor of Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, leader of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP).
General Monguno told journalists on Thursday at the end of the meeting of the National Security Council on Thursday presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that Abu Musab’s successor, Malam Bako, was also neutralized along with another prominent member of the ISWAP.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor had on October 14 confirmed the death of Al Barnawi, saying: “I can authoritatively confirm to you that Abu Musab is dead. He is dead and remains dead.’’
On Thursday, the NSA said “the fact again is that the Armed Forces (of Nigeria), the land forces have done an excellent job because in the span of one month, we have been able to take out the leadership of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) – that is Abu Musab Al-Barnawi.
“Two days ago, the man who succeeded him, one Malam Bako, one of the prominent leaders of the Shura Council of the Islamic State of West African Province, was also taken out.
“They are also contending with leadership crisis. You know these things are also accompanied with inherent issues of trust, conflicts, mutual suspicion and other things.
“So, the operations being conducted by the Armed Forces in the Northern parts of the country put a lot of pressure on the Islamic State of West African Province, Boko Haram and also the tangential group known as Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.’’