This archive report was first published on 29 October 2021.
On October 28, 2021, Nigeria's army announced the death of Malam Bako, the new leader of the insurgent group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in a military operation.
ISWAP is a militant group that emerged from the Boko Haram insurgency, which has been waging war against the Nigerian armed forces for over a decade.
The conflict has had devastating consequences, with the United Nations estimating that it has left around 300,000 people dead and millions dependent on aid.
Nigerian army spokesman Brigadier Benard Onyuko said in a statement that troops had conducted several land and air raids on suspected insurgent locations, resulting in the death of 38 terrorist elements, including Bako.
However, Bako's death has not been independently verified, and there was no immediate confirmation from ISWAP.
His death would be the fourth leadership change in an Islamist insurgent group in West Africa this year, following the deaths of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in May, Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) in August, and Abu Musab al-Barnawi in October.
