The Nigerian military has intensified its offensive against Boko Haram and ISWAP by shifting its focus beyond the battlefield to the insurgents’ supply chain, arresting four suspected logistics suppliers and intercepting 20 relatives of fleeing terrorists in fresh operations across Borno and Yobe States.
The latest intelligence-driven operations by troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), dealt another setback to insurgent networks believed to be responsible for sustaining terrorist activities with food, drugs and other essential supplies.
Military authorities said the coordinated raids, carried out on August 3, targeted individuals suspected of keeping Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters operational despite sustained military offensives.
The first operation unfolded in Geidam, Yobe State, where troops of the 159 Battalion stormed suspected hideouts after receiving credible intelligence. The raid ended with the arrest of two men alleged to have been supplying hard drugs and logistics to Boko Haram fighters.
Security operatives recovered a large quantity of suspected Indian hemp, Pregabalin capsules, cough syrup, mobile phones, power banks, knives, torchlights, cigarette rolls, identity documents, ATM cards and ₦14,530 believed to be connected to the illicit operation.
In another major breakthrough, troops of Sector 3 Garrison, working alongside the 242 Reconnaissance Battalion, swooped on suspected ISWAP logistics operatives in Monguno, Borno State, after weeks of monitoring terrorist supply routes.
The two suspects reportedly confessed during preliminary interrogation that they routinely transported food and other necessities to ISWAP fighters hiding in Kwatan Dowoshi Village in Kukawa Local Government Area.
Recovered items included 11 cartons and 192 sachets of assorted biscuits, Peak milk, sugar, sachets of garri, bars of soap, headlamps, lighters, mobile phones, herbal medicine, a charm belt, prayer beads, an assault knife and ₦6,600 in cash.
In a related development, troops of the 222 Battalion intercepted 20 suspected family members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) while patrolling the Gezuwa axis of Konduga Local Government Area.
The group, made up of nine women, two men and nine children, reportedly fled a terrorist enclave after relentless military bombardments forced insurgents to abandon their positions.
Military sources disclosed that the intercepted individuals have been transferred to the 21 Military Intelligence Regiment for profiling and further investigation.
All four arrested suspects and the recovered exhibits have also been handed over to military intelligence authorities for detailed investigation aimed at exposing wider terrorist support networks.
The latest operations underscore the military’s growing emphasis on crippling insurgent logistics rather than merely engaging terrorists in combat. By targeting those who provide food, drugs, communication devices and other supplies, security experts say the armed forces are steadily weakening the operational capacity of Boko Haram and ISWAP.
Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its determination to sustain the momentum of ongoing counter-insurgency operations and appealed to residents across the North-East to continue providing credible intelligence that will help security agencies identify and dismantle terrorist cells, logistics networks and other criminal collaborators threatening peace in the region.
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