The wife and 11-year-old son of a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) finance officer have surrendered to Nigerian troops in Borno State following the earlier capitulation of the commander himself.
The pair gave themselves up to troops of the 3 Battalion at Kusuma Village on 29 July 2026, four days after the commander, who managed the insurgent group’s finances in Jubillaram, escaped the enclave and surrendered. According to preliminary investigations, he instructed his family to follow suit. Both individuals have undergone screening and are being profiled in accordance with standard protocols.
Disclosing the development in a statement on Saturday, Capt. Muhammed Goni, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for Headquarters Theatre Command, Operation Hadin Kai, stated: “Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have continued to sustain pressure on terrorists through a series of intelligence-led operations that resulted in the arrest of suspected terrorist collaborators, the surrender of the family members of a senior ISWAP commander, and the recovery of terrorist logistics items.”
In a separate action on 27 July 2026, troops from the 5 Brigade apprehended six alleged ISWAP collaborators in Damasak. Intelligence indicates the suspects raised funds for the militant group by buying and selling cattle across markets in Gubio, Damasak, and Ajuwango. Military personnel impounded a Volkswagen Golf vehicle, four mobile phones, fresh beef, and ₦317,950 from the suspects, who remain in custody pending further investigation.
Meanwhile, a clearance operation by the 145 Battalion at Turoh forced a group of insurgents to flee upon the troops’ arrival. A search of the area yielded two abandoned motorcycles alongside significant quantities of illicit narcotics.
While reaffirming the military’s commitment to dismantling terrorist supply chains and financial structures, Capt. Goni urged remaining insurgents and their families to lay down their arms, while appealing to the public for timely intelligence to help restore lasting peace to the region.