Army arrests suspected Boko Haram, ISWAP member escaping Borno terrorist enclave
Troops Intercept Suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP Member in Borno
KUKAWA, Borno State — Troops from Operation Hadin Kai have detained a suspected member of the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group following recent military airstrikes in Borno State.
Zagazola Makama, a security analyst and counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, reported the incident via social media.
Military sources indicate that the suspect, identified as Ahmad Sheriff, 27, was intercepted at approximately 10:12 a.m. on May 31 during a routine patrol along the Kukawa–Cross Kauwa axis in Kukawa Local Government Area. Officials stated that Sheriff was traveling with two children at the time of his apprehension.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the suspect fled from Kangarawa, a known terrorist enclave, due to ongoing military bombardments targeting the area. Sheriff reportedly claimed he escaped alongside 17 others but became separated from them after encountering armed militants while traversing the bush.
Items seized from Sheriff included a smartphone, 43 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, a solar panel, a power bank, sunglasses, mosquito netting, clothing, and N48,000 in cash.
Further inquiries revealed that Sheriff had spent approximately seven years with the Boko Haram/ISWAP group. He is a native of Doron Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area and is currently in military custody for additional profiling and interrogation.
This interception occurs amid escalated military operations in the Lake Chad region, where forces have implemented coordinated ground and air missions aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and reducing the capabilities of insurgent groups. Military authorities emphasized their ongoing commitment to counterterrorism efforts throughout the North-East region.
