Alhaji Ari-Difinoma

Alhaji Ari-Difinoma, a  radical preacher and leader of the Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad (JAS), popularly known as the Boko Haram terrorist group, has reportedly surrendered to the Nigerian troops.

Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in Lake Chad, gathered that Ari-Difinoma, surrendered to the troops 21 Special Armoured Brigade Bama, Operation Hadin Kai, on May 16, 2022, after he was forced out of his hideout following sustained bombardment by troops of Operation Hadin Kai.

Other factors included the intensified infighting between Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP).

Zagazola understands that ISWAP terrorists had launched a surprise attack against Boko Haram at Ukuba, a camp that had been repeatedly destroyed by the Nigerian troops but reoccupied by the terrorists, forcing the Boko Haram to flee.

Impeccable sources told Zagazola that Ari-Difinoma and others ran to hide in a small village located in the village of Mantari, within the axis of Bama Local Government, but were forced out of their hideout by hunger and unending Artillery bombardments by the Nigerian troops.

“It was at that point that Mr Ari-Difinoma decided to abandoned the rest of his colleagues and ran out to surrender himself”, he said.

Alhaji Ari-Difinoma, who was an indigene of Monguno in Borno State, ran one of the radicalization schools in Ukuba Camp in Sambisa Forest under the Darul-Qur’an, has recruited many children and youths by the teaching of extremists’ ideologues within the past 10 years.