Nigeria’s military has said it has killed the second-in-command of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.<\/p>\n
His death earlier in the month had been “confirmed by other arrested terrorists”, a military spokesman, Brig Gen Chris Olukolade said.<\/p>\n
Momodu Bama, also known by his alias “Abu Saad”, was a specialist in manning anti-aircraft guns, he said.<\/p>\n
In May, Nigeria declared an emergency in three north-eastern states in order to battle the militants.<\/p>\n
There has been no independent confirmation of Momodu Bama’s death and Boko Haram has not commented on the statement.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Nigeria’s Interior Minister Abba Moro told media that the army was making progress in its war against Boko Haram, despite the killing of 44 people in a mosque in the region on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The attack by suspected militants took place in the town of Konduga, 35km (22 miles) from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was first established.<\/p>\n
Gen Olukolade, a spokesman for Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, said Momodu Bama was one of the “most-wanted” militant commanders and had a 25m naira ($155,000, \u00a3100,000) bounty on his head.<\/p>\n
He was killed during fighting in Borno state around “the Bama corridor”, he said.<\/p>\n
Seventeen other militants, including Momodu Bama’s father Abatcha Flatari – “one of the spiritual guiding lights of the outlawed terrorist group”, were also killed, he said.<\/p>\n
Another 24 fighters were arrested, his statement added.<\/p>\n
Boko Haram is fighting to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north.<\/p>\n
Thousands of people have died since it began its insurgency in 2009.<\/p>\n
Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, said in a recent video that his fighters’ continuing attacks showed that the army’s claims to have inflicted heavy losses on the group were “lies”.<\/p>\n
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