A senior finance operative of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has surrendered to troops of Operation HADIN KAI, the military has announced, describing the development as a major breakthrough in ongoing counter-terrorism operations in Nigeria’s North East.
The Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, said in a statement that the suspect surrendered to troops of the 3 Battalion under the 24 Task Force Brigade at about 6:45 a.m. on Friday along the Ladari–Jegarawa–Tunokalia axis of the Gamboru–Wulgo Main Supply Route.
According to the military, the surrender followed sustained land and air offensives against terrorist enclaves across the region. It added that approximately 46 terrorists and their family members have voluntarily surrendered to troops in recent days, an indication of the increasing pressure on insurgent groups.
Preliminary profiling identified the suspect as the chief finance operative of an ISWAP enclave in Jubillaram, where he was allegedly responsible for managing the group’s finances and logistics. He reportedly surrendered alongside two male children.
Items recovered from the suspect included an AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a motorcycle, and ₦40,000 in cash.
The military said the suspect is undergoing profiling and interrogation to extract intelligence that could support ongoing operations and assist in tracking down remaining terrorist elements operating in the North East.
Operation HADIN KAI described the surrender as a significant setback for ISWAP, saying it reflects sustained pressure on the group’s command structure, operational capability, and logistics network. The military added that the growing number of recent surrenders points to increasing defections and weakening morale within terrorist ranks.
The Theatre Command reaffirmed its commitment to restoring peace, security, and stability across the North East. It urged remaining insurgents to embrace the Federal Government’s non-kinetic initiatives by laying down their arms and appealed to members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to support ongoing counter-terrorism operations.