By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have killed a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Malam Bako Gorgore, also known as Abou Mustapha, during an encounter in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Zagazola Makama quoted Security sources as saying the insurgent leader, believed to be about 60 years old, was neutralised during a confrontation with troops in Kukawa, a strategic area bordering the Lake Chad Basin that has long served as a major hub for insurgent operations.
The development was confirmed through multiple intelligence channels after security operatives intercepted internal communications among ISWAP fighters acknowledging his death.
Gorgore was regarded as one of the longest-serving figures within the insurgency that began under the late Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in the early 2000s. Originally from Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State, he steadily rose through the ranks to become one of the most influential commanders within the ISWAP hierarchy.
Over the years, he held several strategic operational and leadership roles within the group, particularly in the Timbuktu Triangle — a vast forested and marshland region stretching across northern Borno near Lake Chad that has served as a stronghold for insurgent activities.
Between 2018 and 2021, Gorgore reportedly served as the overall commander responsible for the Faruuk axis in the Timbuktu Triangle after the tenure of another insurgent commander, Mustapha Krimima. Intelligence assessments at the time described him as a key operational planner who coordinated insurgent movements and logistics across the Lake Chad region.
One of the most defining episodes linked to Gorgore was the internal conflict within the Boko Haram movement that culminated in the death of Abubakar Shekau, the notorious leader of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS).
Security sources said Gorgore was among the senior ISWAP commanders who led fighters into Sambisa Forest in 2021 during the confrontation that forced Shekau into a final standoff.
According to intelligence reports, Shekau detonated an explosive device during the confrontation in the Tokumbere area of Sambisa Forest, killing himself and some of his loyalists rather than surrender to the ISWAP faction. The incident significantly reshaped the insurgent landscape in the North-East, weakening the JAS faction while strengthening ISWAP’s operational dominance in parts of Borno State.
Following the restructuring of ISWAP leadership after the Sambisa events, Gorgore further consolidated his influence within the organisation.
By 2022, he had been elevated to the Shura Council, the highest decision-making body within the group operating under the broader command structure aligned with the Islamic State’s global leadership.
Before joining the council, he reportedly served as Amir Jaysh (military commander) in the Timbuktu Triangle after Mustapha Krimima. In that role, he supervised combat operations, managed fighters and coordinated activities across the Lake Chad “Tumbumma” enclaves — a network of islands and marshlands long used as insurgent hideouts.
Gorgore had previously been reported dead in 2022 after intelligence suggested he was killed in a Nigerian Air Force airstrike targeting ISWAP positions in the Lake Chad region. However, later intelligence assessments indicated he survived the strike with injuries and subsequently resurfaced within the group’s command structure.
Security analysts believe the confirmed killing of Gorgore could have significant implications for the leadership cohesion of ISWAP.
As a senior Shura member with deep operational experience dating back to the early Boko Haram years, his death may disrupt command continuity within the insurgent network, which has long depended on experienced commanders capable of navigating the complex Lake Chad terrain and maintaining loyalty among fighters.
His removal may also trigger internal power struggles as younger commanders compete to fill the vacuum left within the group’s leadership structure.
Beyond the operational impact, analysts say the death of Gorgore carries symbolic significance, as he was among the few surviving commanders linked to the original Boko Haram leadership under Mohammed Yusuf.
While ISWAP retains operational capabilities and continues to mount attacks in parts of the North-East, observers believe the loss of such a veteran figure could complicate its internal command dynamics in the months ahead.
