Troops arrest six suspected ISWAP collaborators as finance chief’s family surrenders in Borno

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have intensified efforts to disrupt the logistics and financial networks of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), arrested six suspected collaborators.

Just as the troops received the surrender of the wife and son of a senior ISWAP finance operative, and recovered motorcycles and illicit drugs during separate operations in Borno State.

The operations, carried out between July 27 and July 29, form part of the military’s ongoing intelligence-driven campaign to weaken terrorist support structures across Nigeria’s North-East.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI,  troops of the 5 Brigade arrested six suspected ISWAP collaborators in Damasak on July 27 following intelligence-led operations.

Preliminary investigations, the military said, revealed that the suspects were allegedly involved in raising funds for the terrorist group through the procurement and sale of cattle in designated markets located in Gubio, Damasak and Ajuwango.

The military described the suspected cattle trading network as one of the channels allegedly used by the insurgents to sustain their operations financially.

Items recovered from the suspects included a Volkswagen Golf vehicle, vehicle keys, four mobile phones of different brands, cow meat and cash amounting to N317,950.

The suspects are currently in military custody and are undergoing further investigation.

In another development, troops of the 3 Battalion received the surrender of the wife and 11-year-old son of a senior ISWAP commander who reportedly served as the group’s Chief Finance Officer in Jubillaram.

The military disclosed that the woman and her son surrendered through Kusuma Village on July 29.

According to preliminary findings, the senior ISWAP finance operative had earlier surrendered to troops on July 25 after escaping from a terrorist enclave. Following his surrender, he reportedly instructed his wife to present herself and their son to military authorities.

The woman and the child have since been screened and are undergoing further profiling in line with established military procedures.

Military authorities have repeatedly encouraged terrorists willing to abandon insurgency to surrender, assuring them of humane treatment and participation in the Federal Government’s deradicalisation and reintegration processes where applicable.

In a separate operation, troops of the 145 Battalion, acting on credible intelligence, carried out a clearance operation at Turoh.

Captain Goni said the terrorists fled upon sighting the advancing troops, abandoning some of their equipment and supplies.

During the exploitation of the area, soldiers recovered two motorcycles and large quantities of illicit hard drugs believed to have been left behind by the fleeing insurgents.

The recovered items have been taken into military custody, while efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects.

Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-led and offensive operations aimed at dismantling terrorist logistics, financial and support networks across the North-East.

The military also urged members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information that would assist security agencies in ongoing efforts to restore lasting peace, security and stability in the region.