Senior ISWAP Finance Operative Surrenders in Borno
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Senior ISWAP Finance Operative Surrenders in Borno
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Nigerian military has recorded another breakthrough in its counter-insurgency campaign in the North-East following the surrender of a senior finance operative of the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, alongside two children, as dozens of other terrorists and their family members also laid down their arms.
The Theatre Command of Operation HADIN KAI disclosed that the development followed sustained land and air offensives against terrorist enclaves, which have continued to weaken the insurgents’ operational capacity.
According to the military, about 46 terrorists and their family members voluntarily surrendered to troops in recent days, describing the latest surrender as another indication of mounting pressure on ISWAP fighters.
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A statement issued by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni on Saturday, said the senior operative surrendered to troops of the 3 Battalion under the 24 Task Force Brigade at about 6:45 a.m. on Friday along the Ladari-Jegarawa-Tunokalia axis of the Gamboru-Wulgo Main Supply Route in Borno State.
The military said preliminary investigations identified the suspect as the chief finance operative of the ISWAP enclave at Jubillaram, where he allegedly coordinated the group’s finances and logistics.
Items recovered from him included one AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one motorcycle and ₦40,000 cash.
The statement noted that the suspect was undergoing detailed profiling and interrogation to obtain intelligence that would support ongoing operations and assist troops in tracking down other terrorist elements operating within the theatre.
“The surrender of such a key finance operative represents another significant setback for ISWAP, reflecting the growing erosion of the group’s command structure, operational capability and sustainment network under the relentless pressure of Operation HADIN KAI,” the statement said.
The command added that the increasing number of recent surrenders pointed to growing disillusionment among terrorists and an accelerating wave of defections from insurgent camps.
Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its commitment to restoring peace and security across the North-East and urged remaining terrorists to embrace the Federal Government’s non-kinetic initiatives by surrendering their weapons.
The military also appealed to residents to continue providing timely and credible intelligence to security agencies to strengthen ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the region.
