Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have recorded fresh operational gains with the surrender of a Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (BH/ISWAP) terrorist and the arrest of six suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate in separate operations in Borno and Adamawa states.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai, Maiduguri, Captain Mohammed Goni, troops of 29 Task Force Brigade under Sector 2 OPHK, in collaboration with Forest Guards, received a repentant BH/ISWAP terrorist at Borgozo in Benisheikh, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State, on Sunday.
The military said preliminary investigations indicated that the terrorist had fled a terrorist enclave with the intention of abandoning insurgency.
The troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, 14 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, four magazines, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), one magazine pouch and a bicycle.
The surrendered terrorist is currently in military custody and undergoing further investigation and profiling in line with established procedures, the statement said.
Six suspected kidnappers arrested in Adamawa
In a separate operation in Adamawa State, troops of Sector 4 OPHK, working with local hunters, arrested six suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate operating around Soktu Hill in Song Local Government Area.
Goni said the operation followed credible intelligence on the activities of the suspected syndicate. Acting on the information, troops mobilised and raided the group’s identified hideout, arresting three suspects and recovering a Dane gun.
He said further investigations and subsequent covert operations led to the arrest of three additional suspects, bringing the total number of suspects in custody to six.
Preliminary investigations, according to the military, indicated that the syndicate had been operating in the Soktu, Dumne and Maigero areas of Song Local Government Area.
The suspects reportedly confessed to participating in the abduction of several victims for ransom, as well as other violent crimes in the area.
They remain in military custody for further investigation and possible legal action.
Goni said the operations demonstrated the continued pressure being mounted by troops of Operation Hadin Kai against terrorists and other criminal elements across the Joint Operations Area.
He added that the Theatre Command would sustain offensive operations aimed at denying terrorists and other criminal groups freedom of action, improving security for law-abiding residents and creating conditions for socioeconomic activities to thrive.
