Nigeria claims killing of Boko Haram 'number two'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nigerian soldiers patrol near Maiduguri on June 5, 2013. Nigeria's military said it had killed the second-in-command of Islamist group Boko Haram while repelling an insurgent attack earlier this month. (AFP/File)
Nigeria's military on Wednesday said it had killed the second-in-command of Islamist group Boko Haram while repelling an insurgent attack earlier this month.
A military statement said there had been a bounty of 25 million naira ($156,000, 117,000 euros) on the head of Momodu Bama, who went by the alias Abu Saad.
"During the Boko Haram terrorists' attack... on 4 August, 2013 (troops) killed Momodu Bama," a statement from spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He was killed in the town of Bama in northeastern Borno state, Boko Haram's traditional stronghold, the statement said.
He "was the terrorists' operation officer and second-in-command to Abubakar Shekau", the Boko Haram chief who has been declared a global terrorist by the United States, the statement added.
While Boko Haram's composition has typically been hard to unravel, a source familiar with the group's make-up confirmed Bama's status as Shekau's deputy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The reported killing comes amid a large military offensive launched in May aimed at crushing the insurgency.
Boko Haram has carried out fresh attacks in recent weeks, raising questions about the effectiveness of the military campaign.