The Nigerian military says it has identified some senior commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following a series of successful offensive operations by Operation Hadin Kai in the Lake Chad region of northern Borno State.
“The breakthrough came from the recovery of high value intelligence materials during recent operations against ISWAP fighters in the Lake Chad Basin, the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Troops recovered various electronic equipment, including a camcorder believed to have been used by ISWAP members to generate propaganda videos and document operational activities, the military said. The recovered equipment, it said, was subjected to forensic investigation which it claimed revealed actionable intelligence that assisted security forces in identifying terrorist hideouts and key commanders operating inside the Mangari-Metele-Dogon Chukun axis in Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas of Borno State.
Among them was Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, whom the military recognised as the Wali (Governor) of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and now the most wanted terrorist leader operating in the Lake Chad Basin.
Also listed are Muhammad Jidda, widely known as ‘The One-Handed Man’, who apparently acts as the group’s deputy leader and Amirul Jaish, as well as Hamad Abu Hanifa, designated as the group’s Amirul-Fiya, and other key operatives.
Operation Hadin Kai declared that it would pay a large sum of money to anyone who provided credible and actionable intelligence that would lead to the arrest of Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa. The military said that any information provided by potential informants would be kept strictly private and that their identities would be protected by standard security procedures.
The military has called on citizens, especially those residing in villages near the Lake Chad Basin, to support current counter-terrorism operations by reporting suspicious movements and sharing relevant intelligence with security services.
The public was warned by authorities not to try to arrest or confront any of the wanted criminals, saying such actions may be deadly. Instead, they appealed to civilians to disclose information through the formal security reporting channels or the special emergency line 0708 498 8859.
The latest development comes as Nigerian security forces ramp up operations against insurgent organisations in the North-East, targeting terrorist enclaves, interrupting supply routes and diminishing the operational capabilities of ISWAP and other extremist groups operating within the Lake Chad region.
The military authorities were confident that continued intelligence-led operations and enhanced public collaboration would significantly improve ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and bring lasting peace and security to the North-East.
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