Army arrests suspected Boko Haram, ISWAP member escaping Borno terrorist enclave

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intercepted a suspected member of the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group who allegedly fled a terrorist enclave following recent military airstrikes in Borno State.

The development was disclosed by a security analyst and counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, in a post shared via his X handle.

According to military sources cited in the report, the suspect, identified as Ahmad Sheriff, 27, was intercepted at about 10:12 a.m. on May 31 during a patrol along the Kukawa–Cross Kauwa axis in Kukawa Local Government Area of the state.

The sources said the suspect was travelling with two children when he was apprehended by troops conducting routine security operations in the area.

Preliminary interrogation reportedly revealed that the suspect fled from Kangarawa, a known terrorist enclave, following sustained military airstrikes targeting the area.

The suspect allegedly told investigators that he escaped alongside 17 other individuals but became separated from the group after they encountered armed terrorists while moving through the bush.

Military authorities said items recovered from the suspect included a smartphone, 43 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, a solar panel, a power bank, a pair of sunglasses, a mosquito net, clothing materials and N48,000 in cash.

Further investigations indicated that the suspect had spent about seven years with the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group.

The sources added that the suspect, a native of Doron Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area, is currently in military custody for further profiling and investigation.

The interception comes amid intensified military offensives across the Lake Chad region, where troops have sustained coordinated ground and air operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and degrading the operational capabilities of insurgent groups.

Military authorities said troops remain vigilant and committed to ongoing counterterrorism operations across the North-East theatre.

Army arrests suspected Boko Haram, ISWAP member escaping Borno terrorist enclave