Nigerian troops have arrested six suspected Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, collaborators in Borno State and recovered items believed to be funding terrorist operations.
In a separate development, the wife and young son of a senior ISWAP finance commander also surrendered to the military.
According to the Acting Information Officer for Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, the arrests were made on July 27 by troops of 5 Brigade in Damasak.
Investigations showed the suspects allegedly raised money for ISWAP through the buying and selling of cattle at markets in Gubio, Damasak and Ajuwango. The military said the cattle trade was part of the group’s financial network.
During the operation, troops recovered one Volkswagen Golf, vehicle keys, four mobile phones, cow meat, and ₦317,950 suspected to be proceeds from the illicit trade. The six suspects are in custody and undergoing further questioning.
Two days later, on July 29, troops of 3 Battalion received the surrender of the wife of a senior ISWAP finance operative and her 11-year-old son at Kusuma Village.
Goni said the woman’s husband, identified as the group’s Chief Finance Officer in Jubillaram, had escaped and surrendered to troops on July 25. After surrendering, he instructed his wife to also turn herself in with their son.
Both have been screened and are being profiled under procedures for surrendered members and their families.
In another operation, troops of 145 Battalion acted on intelligence and carried out a clearance at Turoh. The statement said insurgents fled on sighting the troops. During exploitation of the area, soldiers recovered two motorcycles and large quantities of hard drugs abandoned by the fleeing fighters. The military believes the motorcycles and drugs were part of ISWAP’s logistics and supply chain.
Operation HADIN KAI said it will continue intelligence-driven offensives to break down terrorist logistics, supply routes and financial networks across the North-East.
The military also called on more insurgents to lay down arms and surrender, and urged residents to keep providing timely and credible information to security agencies.
