Boko Haram appoints new ‘governor’ in Borno, may launch more attacks in coming weeks

The Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād faction of the Boko Haram fighters has appointed Ameer Hassan as its new “governor of the Mandara Hills” in Borno State.

A counterinsurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this in a series of tweets on Tuesday.

The new governor, Hassan was said to have replaced Ummate Ma also known as Muhamma after he was eliminated along with some of his fighters in a rival clash with the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP), in June 2022.

The appointment was announced by the Boko Haram Ameerul Fiyah Mallam Ali Ngulde, the overall leader of the terror group leading the Mandara Hills in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, Makama said.

Ngulde is one of the notorious terror leaders of the Boko Haram and has been on the most wanted list of the Nigerian military for the past six years.

“In April 13, 2022, Ngulde was rumoured to have been killed when troops of the Special Forces of Operation Hadin Kai dismantled his stronghold killing some of his fighters and forcing many other Jihadists to surrender to the Nigerian troops.

“Findings from some of the surrendered insurgents revealed that Ndulde was still alive noting that during the deadly encounter with troops, he escaped through the axis of Cinana Gwoshe, Barawa and Agaba before crossing over to Cameroon axis where he is currently hiding.

“The new appointment and leadership of Amir Hassan was expected to trigger a wave of planned and directed attacks against soft civilian and military positions especially in the route between Banki to Gwoza town,” Makama said.