Ibrahim Bakoura, a senior Boko Haram commander also known as Abu Oumaima, has denied reports claiming he was killed by the Nigerien Armed Forces.
On Tuesday, the government of Niger Republic announced that Bakoura was among several top insurgents eliminated in precision air strikes carried out on August 15. The operations reportedly hit Boko Haram bases in Korongol, Kournawa, and Shilawa in the Diffa region, destroying logistical supplies and killing dozens of fighters.
Abdurahamane Tiani, Niger’s head of state, had earlier identified Bakoura as one of the key figures allegedly plotting to destabilise the country.
However, in an intercepted communication cited 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 told his commanders that he had read the news of his supposed death on social media, “as announced by the Republic of Niger.”
He admitted that the air strikes had taken place but insisted he was not among those killed.
Niger remains a frontline state in the regional battle against terrorism. Although it has withdrawn from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), the country continues to work with Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon through bilateral security arrangements.