Troops Arrest 12 Suspected Boko Haram, ISWAP Collaborators in Borno Crackdown

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have arrested 12 suspected collaborators and logistics suppliers linked to the terrorist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) during an intelligence-led operation in Damasak, Borno State.

The arrests followed actionable intelligence obtained from the interrogation of an earlier suspect apprehended at the Kadauri Cattle Market in Damasak, according to a military operational report released on Monday in Abuja.

The military said the suspect provided vital information on meeting points, hideouts and the activities of terrorist collaborators, logistics suppliers and informants operating within the area, prompting troops to launch coordinated cordon-and-search operations.

The operation led to the arrest of 12 suspects believed to be part of the insurgents’ support network.

Items recovered from the suspects included four mobile phones—three Tecno handsets, one Itel phone and one Infinix smartphone as well as ₦7,360 in cash.

Military authorities said the suspects are undergoing preliminary processing before being transferred to the Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre in Maiduguri for detailed investigation, profiling and possible prosecution.

The military described the operation as a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle the logistics and intelligence networks that sustain Boko Haram and ISWAP operations in the North-East.

It reaffirmed that troops of Operation HADIN KAI would continue intelligence-driven operations aimed at identifying, tracking and apprehending other members of terrorist support networks across the region.