Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, has gifted the sum of N20 million to the widow of late Colonel Dahiru Bako of the Nigerian Army killed this week by Boko Haram.

The senior officer ran into the ambush while leading a patrol to clear terrorists from the Sabon Gari-Wajiroko axis near Damboa, Borno State on Sunday, September 20, 2020.

Bako was wounded by enemy fire and was immediately evacuated to the 7 Division Hospital at Maimalari Cantonment where he eventually died on Monday, September 21.

Three other soldiers died as a result of Sunday’s ambush attack by the terrorists.

Colonel Bako died after he was treated for injuries sustained during Boko Haram’s attack [HumAngle]

During a condolence visit to Mrs Bako on Wednesday, September 23, Zulum presented her a cheque of N20 million, and promised to redeem his pledge of providing the family with a house.

He described the late senior officer as a fallen hero who was a great patriot and formidable commander, according to a statement by the Army.

The governor also donated N2 million each to the families of the three soldiers that also died as a result of Sunday’s attack.

Bako was buried at the Military Cemetery  in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, on Tuesday, September 22.

Colonel Bako was a veteran of Operation Lafiya Dole, the military theatre that has battled Boko Haram for years [Twitter/@ProfZulum]

Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions from their communities since the group’s insurgency escalated in 2009.

President Muhammadu Buhari slightly altered his rhetoric about the terrorist group during his address at the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) late on Tuesday.

The president had in the past claimed numerous times that the Islamic sect was ‘technically defeated’ and posed no significant operational threat  to the country.

However, while addressing world leaders on Tuesday, he said Nigeria is still battling violent extremism  from the terrorist group as well as from bandits.

The 77-year-old appealed for stronger backing from the UN Counter-Terrorism bodies and neighboring countries to snuff out Boko Haram terrorists in the Lake Chad Basin, where they have based operations over the past years, and the wider Sahel region.