Troops Arrest 12 Suspected Terrorist Collaborators In Borno Operations

Troops of the 5 Brigade under Operation HADIN KAI have arrested 12 suspected collaborators, logistics suppliers and informants linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) during intelligence-led operations in Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State.

The arrests followed a series of coordinated raids carried out on 2 July after actionable intelligence was obtained from the interrogation of an earlier suspect, identified as Mustapha Goni Ahmed, who had been apprehended at the Kadauri Cattle Market in Damasak.

According to security sources, the suspect allegedly identified several meeting points and hideouts used by individuals believed to be providing logistics, intelligence and other forms of support to terrorist groups operating in the area.

Acting on the information, troops led by the Acting Commander of the 5 Brigade, Colonel S.O. Bello, conducted cordon-and-search operations at multiple locations, resulting in the arrest of 12 additional suspects believed to be members of the terrorists’ support network.

Items recovered during the operation included three Tecno mobile phones, one Itel mobile phone, one Infinix smartphone and ₦7,360 in cash.

The suspects are undergoing preliminary processing before being transferred to the Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre (JIFC) in Maiduguri for further investigation and profiling.

Military sources described the operation as a major breakthrough in ongoing counter-intelligence efforts aimed at dismantling terrorist support structures and disrupting the logistics and intelligence networks sustaining insurgent activities in the Lake Chad region.

They added that operations are continuing to identify and apprehend other suspected collaborators linked to the network.