A senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in Nigeria’s North-East, marking another significant blow to the terrorist group.
The acting Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed that the insurgent turned himself in to troops of the 3 Battalion under the 24 Task Force Brigade at about 6:45 a.m. on July 25.
According to Goni, the surrender took place along the Ladari–Jegarawa–Tunokalia corridor of the Gamboru–Wulgo Main Supply Route in Borno State.
While the military withheld the identity of the suspect, preliminary investigations revealed that he served as the chief finance operative for the ISWAP enclave in Jubillaram. In that role, he was reportedly in charge of the group’s financial operations and logistics.
The surrendered terrorist arrived with two male children, who were also taken into military custody.
Items recovered from the suspect included one AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one motorcycle and ₦40,000.
According to Goni, the suspect is currently undergoing detailed profiling and interrogation to obtain actionable intelligence that will support ongoing military operations and aid efforts to target remaining terrorist elements across the theatre.
He said the surrender of a key finance operative underscored the sustained impact of the military’s kinetic and intelligence-driven operations against terrorist groups in the North East.
According to him, the latest development comes amid a growing wave of defections, with about 46 terrorists and their family members voluntarily surrendering to troops in recent days, further highlighting the increasing pressure on terrorist strongholds.
“The surrender of such a key finance operative represents another significant setback for ISWAP, reflecting the growing erosion of the group’s command structure, operational capability and sustainment network under the relentless pressure of Operation HADIN KAI.
“Coupled with the increasing number of recent surrenders, this development confirms deepening disillusionment within terrorist ranks and points to an accelerating wave of defections from terrorist camps,” Goni said.
He reaffirmed that Operation HADIN KAI remains committed to restoring lasting peace, security and stability across the North East.
Goni also called on remaining terrorists to embrace the Federal Government’s non-kinetic initiatives by laying down their arms, while urging members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible intelligence to enhance ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
