The Nigerian military said late on Sunday that it had launched an assault 10 days ago against insurgents in the northeast and killed over 70 militants including three commanders, Reuters reported.
Buba said government forces also shot down drones used by the insurgents.
Boko Haram and Daesh West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants have mainly operated in Borno state, targeting security forces and civilians in an insurgency that has killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands.
On Friday, suspected extremist insurgents killed at least 20 Nigerian soldiers, including a commanding officer, in an attack on an army base in a remote Borno town, according to security sources and local residents.
An extremist insurgency has plagued the northeast of Africa's most populous country for 16 years, while kidnapping and banditry are rampant in the northwest and gang and separatist violence is common in the southeast.