From, Sani Gazas Chinade Damaturu
A suspected ISWAP fighter trained as a gunboat operator and Dushka heavy machine gunner has surrendered to troops of the 5 Brigade in Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the insurgent surrendered to troops at about 9:00 a.m. on July 1.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect escaped from a terrorist camp at Barra Village in the Lake Chad region near Dogon Chukwu, an enclave reportedly under the command of a terrorist leader identified as Abu Ubeida.
During initial debriefing, the surrendered insurgent disclosed that he had been trained as a gunboat driver and also operated a Dushka heavy machine gun during terrorist operations in the Lake Chad area.
According to the sources, the suspect attributed his decision to flee the camp to the sustained military air bombardments on terrorist enclaves, which he said had severely disrupted activities and made survival increasingly difficult.
Following his surrender, the suspect was quarantined in line with military procedures and provided with food and medical assistance.
He remains in the custody of troops for further profiling, intelligence debriefing and other necessary administrative actions.
Security sources said the surrender point to the continued impact of sustained air and ground operations in weakening terrorist capabilities and encouraging defections from insurgent ranks across the North-East.
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