Confusion as Boko Haram commander ‘denies dying’ in Niger Republic air strike

Ibrahim Bakoura, a senior Boko Haram member also known as Abu Oumaima, has denied being killed by the Nigerien Armed Forces.

The government of Niger Republic announced on Tuesday that Bakoura was killed alongside several high-ranking insurgents, in a series of precision air strikes by its armed forces, on August 15.

The strikes reportedly targeted Boko Haram strongholds in Korongol, Kournawa, and Shilawa in the country’s Diffa region.

Dozens of fighters were said to have been killed, with logistical supplies destroyed.

Abdurahamane Tiani, Niger’s head of state, had earlier identified Bakoura as one of the key actors allegedly involved in attempts to destabilise the country.

However, in an intercepted communication obtained by security sources, Bakoura was said to have dismissed reports of his death.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, Bakoura was heard telling his commanders that he read the news of his death on social media, as announced by the Republic of Niger.

He admitted that the air strikes indeed took place but said he was not among those killed.

Niger remains a frontline state in the regional fight against terrorism.

Despite withdrawing from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), it often collaborates with Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon under bilateral engagement.