Senior ISWAP finance operative surrenders to troops in Borno

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

A senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) finance operative has surrendered to troops of Operation HADIN KAI in the Northeast, as the military reports a rise in the number of terrorists laying down their arms.

In a statement signed by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, the military said about 46 terrorists and their family members had voluntarily surrendered to troops in recent days following sustained ground and air operations against insurgent enclaves.

According to the statement, the senior operative surrendered to troops of 3 Battalion under 24 Task Force Brigade at about 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 25, along the Ladari–Jegarawa–Tunokalia axis on the Gamboru–Wulgo Main Supply Route. He was accompanied by two male children.

Preliminary profiling by the military identified the suspect as the chief finance operative of an ISWAP enclave at Jubillaram, where he was allegedly responsible for managing the terrorist group’s finances and logistics. Troops recovered an AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a motorcycle and ₦40,000 from him.

The military said the operative was undergoing further profiling and interrogation to obtain intelligence that could assist ongoing operations against remaining terrorist elements in the region. It described his surrender as a setback to ISWAP’s financial and logistics network and an indication of increasing pressure on the group.

Operation HADIN KAI said sustained military operations and the growing number of defections were weakening terrorist networks across the Northeast. The Theatre Command urged remaining fighters to lay down their arms and take advantage of the Federal Government’s non-kinetic initiatives, while calling on residents to continue providing credible information to security agencies.