Nigerian troops have foiled an attempted infiltration by suspected Boko Haram fighters and arrested several alleged collaborators accused of supplying logistics and intelligence to insurgents, in what the military described as another major setback for armed groups operating in the country’s North-East.
The Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, said the operations were carried out through coordinated military offensives and intelligence-led raids across Borno State, targeting both frontline fighters and the support networks sustaining insurgent activities.
According to the military, troops intercepted terrorists advancing towards the North East Theatre Training School in Buni Yadi at about 9:00am on June 9. Soldiers responded with coordinated firepower, repelling the attack before the fighters could breach the facility.
Security forces later recovered the bodies of two suspected terrorists and a motorcycle abandoned during the failed assault, the military said.
In separate intelligence-driven operations, troops of the 25 Brigade Garrison, working alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), arrested two men identified as Mallam Bako Ibrahim and Abu Aji along the Sierra 4 axis in Damboa. Military authorities alleged that the suspects were responsible for supplying logistics to Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters operating within the area.
Another suspect, Musa Idi, was arrested by troops of the 162 Amphibious Battalion in collaboration with the CJTF along the Mandaragirau–Sabon Gari road.
Items recovered from the suspects included wristwatches, a large mat, a transistor radio, two cartons of agro-allied chemicals and other materials which investigators believe were intended for insurgent use.
In a related operation, combined troops of Sector 2 and the CJTF arrested 23-year-old Adams Shittima in Damboa town during the early hours of June 9. The military alleged that he was attempting to procure mosquito nets and farm implements for insurgents.
During preliminary questioning, the suspect reportedly admitted to providing both logistics support and intelligence to terrorist elements operating within Damboa Local Government Area, according to the military.
The suspects remain in military custody as investigations continue.
Operation HADIN KAI said sustained offensives across the North-East have continued to weaken terrorist networks by disrupting supply routes, dismantling support structures and forcing insurgents to abandon their strongholds.
The military commended its troops for what it described as their professionalism, vigilance and resilience, reaffirming its commitment to sustaining operations aimed at restoring peace and security across the region.
The latest operations form part of Nigeria’s continuing counterinsurgency campaign against Boko Haram and its Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction, both of which have waged a prolonged insurgency in the North-East for more than a decade.
