Borno: Four ISWAP fighters surrender, expose terrorist enclave

Four members of the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, have surrendered to Nigerian troops in Borno State, providing information on the activities and structure of a terrorist enclave in Marte Local Government Area.

The development was contained in information obtained by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama.

The four individuals, comprising two adults and two minors, reportedly told investigators that they had been abducted and forced into the terrorist group at different locations in Borno State.

They were identified as Isha Bukar, 19, from Gamboru Ngala; Abubakar Alkali, 25, from Monguno; Tijani Mele, 15, from Dikwa; and Abubakar Mohammed Mairiga, 24, from Damboa.

Bukar said he was abducted about a year ago by his elder brother, who was an ISWAP member, and taken to the Arinna Chiki terrorist camp in Marte.

Alkali said ISWAP fighters abducted him while he was working on his farm at Buluwa village in Marte, while Mele said he was abducted by his brother while fetching firewood around the Gudunbali General Area in Guzamala.

Mairiga, a fisherman from Damboa, reportedly said he was abducted by ISWAP fighters while fishing at Dowoshi in Kukawa Local Government Area.

The four later escaped from the camp and surrendered to Nigerian troops, with military sources attributing their decision partly to sustained airstrikes and psychological operations that had disrupted activities within the enclave.

According to the sources, the military pressure had worsened conditions inside the camp, leaving some members increasingly disillusioned with the group.

“Survival in such condition was nearly impossible,” one of the former members reportedly said.

According to the information provided by the former ISWAP members, Arinna Chiki in Marte is a major terrorist enclave, with the camp’s leadership, internal structure and operations also disclosed to investigators.

The camp is reportedly headed by individuals identified as Abu Salim and Abu Riana, alongside other commanders, and comprises several settlements, including Gari Ba’amfani, Mujiza, Guzuma, Sabon Tumbu, Yates Kura and Latimer.

Investigators were also told that weapons are issued to fighters before operations and returned to the leadership afterwards. The group reportedly conducts attacks in parts of Borno, including Monguno, Marte, Ngoshe and Gamboru Ngala, as well as across the border in Cameroon.

ISWAP also reportedly relies on attacks against civilians, commuters and farming activities to obtain supplies and sustain its operations.

Following their surrender, the four individuals were taken to Headquarters Sector 3 for processing and further interrogation.

The development comes amid sustained military operations involving ground offensives, airstrikes and psychological operations aimed at degrading terrorist networks in the North-East and encouraging fighters and their associates to abandon the insurgency.