He noted that bandits shot Mrs Abubakar before abandoning her.
“Every operational resource was deployed in the hope of securing his safe return. This sad loss further strengthens the resolve of the AFN,” he said.
AFRICOM’s spokeswoman, Rebecca Heyse, said the joint counter-terrorism operations conducted by Nigerian and U.S. forces significantly weakened ISIS activities in the region.
Defence chief Olufemi Oluyede has charged troops of the 2 National Mission Force Brigade to intensify offensive operations against terrorists.
The U.S. president ordered a missile strike in Nigeria on Christmas Eve, targeting a terrorist camp in Sokoto State.
The massacre of about 200 people in Kwara has sparked reactions across Nigeria, attracting global media attention.
