ARMY ARRESTS SUSPECTED BOKO HARAM, ISWAP OPERATIVE FLEEING BORNO TERRORIST STRONGHOLD

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By:Tajudeen Aminat

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP member who allegedly fled a terrorist enclave after recent airstrikes in Borno State.

The arrest was disclosed by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, via a post on his X handle.

According to military sources, the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Ahmad Sheriff, was intercepted at about 10:12 a.m. on May 31 during a patrol along the Kukawa–Cross Kauwa axis in Kukawa Local Government Area.

He was reportedly travelling with two children when troops conducting routine operations stopped and apprehended him.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that he escaped from Kangarawa, a known terrorist hideout, following sustained military airstrikes in the area.

He allegedly told investigators that he fled alongside 17 others but got separated after encountering armed terrorists while moving through the bush.

Military authorities said items recovered from him included a smartphone, 43 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, a solar panel, a power bank, sunglasses, a mosquito net, clothing materials, and ₦48,000 in cash.

Investigations further showed that he had spent about seven years with the Boko Haram/ISWAP group.

The suspect, a native of Doron Baga in Kukawa LGA, is currently in military custody for profiling and further investigation.

The interception comes amid intensified counterterrorism operations across the Lake Chad region, where troops continue coordinated ground and air assaults aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves.

Military authorities reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining pressure on insurgents and maintaining security across the North-East theatre.