Troops of the north east joint task force, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), arrested 18 Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) logistics suppliers between March 28 and 30, in separate operations across Borno state.
In Gubio local government area, troops, in collaboration with intelligence operatives and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), arrested 13 logistics suppliers and collaborators.
Two additional suspects apprehended in the same area subsequently confessed to long-term involvement in supplying terrorists with logistics.
At Molai community, two more Boko Haram collaborators were arrested after troops observed them loitering within a defensive area under suspicious circumstances.
The arrests came alongside the interception of a major terrorist supply convoy in Maiduguri, where troops stopped vehicles along the Maiduguri-Mafa road carrying two truckloads of terrorist supplies concealed in sacks.
The consignment included cartons of medical drugs, motorcycle tubes and tyres, mosquito nets, mats, air filter cylinders, and detergents, all being transported without clearance toward Kusuri, a border community near Chad.
The vehicles, drivers, and items were handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation.
Further operations led to the arrest of a 26-year-old logistics supplier, Mohammed Adamu, at Muna garage.
Items recovered from him included 25 litres of engine oil, ₦624,900 in cash, a mobile phone, and identification documents.
Preliminary findings suggest he had been supplying motorcycle parts and other materials to terrorists over time.
Troops also arrested an ISWAP member, Abubakar Ali, also known as Saina, at Kilo Papa checkpoint while travelling to Maiduguri on a reconnaissance mission.
Troops deployed in Damboa local government area thwarted a planned Boko Haram/ISWAP attack after detecting terrorists’ movements through surveillance systems.
The troops engaged the terrorists, forcing them to retreat, while follow-up operations confirmed their withdrawal.
Similar attempts to attack farmers and communities in Gwoza and Askira Uba local government areas were also repelled, with terrorists fleeing towards the Mandara mountains and surrounding areas.
As part of ongoing operations, troops discovered and safely detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) along Goniri-Ngamdu axis, believed to have been planted to target both troops and commuters.
Among the materials recovered were rail tracks, which investigators said had been positioned to channel vehicles into a killing zone.
In separate clearance and cordon-and-search operations conducted at Wulgo junction, Gamboru motor park, and surrounding areas, troops recovered 450 wraps of marijuana and other illicit substances while the drug dealers fled on sighting the troops.
The military high command commended the troops for their resilience and professionalism, urging them to sustain the momentum in ongoing operations to deny terrorists freedom of action and enhance security across the region.
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