Military pressure, factional clashes force 25 ISWAP family members to surrender in Borno

Twenty-five family members of ISWAP terrorists have surrendered to Nigerian troops in separate incidents in Borno State amid intensified military operations against insurgents in the North-East.

The surrender involved four people who gave themselves up to troops of 3 Battalion, Marine, at Combat Outpost Ladari on August 30, and another group of 21, comprising seven women and 14 children, who surrendered at Mafa on September 2.

Zagazola Makama, a security analyst and counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, disclosed the development in a post on X.

According to Makama, the four individuals who surrendered on August 30 were from Arianna, Koloram Yerwa Kura and Tumbuma communities in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.

He said they were subsequently taken into the custody of the 24 Military Intelligence Regiment for further investigation and necessary action.

In the second incident, 21 family members of the insurgents surrendered to troops of 112 Task Force Battalion at Mafa in Dikwa Local Government Area.

Preliminary investigation indicated that the group fled the Yaganari terrorist enclave amid ongoing clashes between rival ISWAP factions.

The latest development comes as military pressure intensifies on terrorist groups operating across Borno and other parts of the North-East, with sustained operations targeting their hideouts and disrupting their activities.

The surrenders also point to the impact of internal divisions within the insurgent groups, particularly clashes between rival factions, on their members and families.

Security agencies are expected to continue screening and processing the surrendered individuals in line with established procedures.