One soldier was wounded as the Troops of Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) eliminated three Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists during a clearance operation on the fringes of Lake Chad on May 28.
The injured personnel was airlifted to the Military hospital in Maiduguri for medical attention.
According to intelligence sources, the terrorists were neutralized by the troops of 86 Battalion in the fringes of Malam Fatori in Borno’s Abadam Local Government Area. Two AK-47 rifles were recovered from the terrorists after the encounter.
Zagazola Makama, a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in Lake Chad, confirmed the incident, stating that the troops have dealt a significant blow to the ISWAP terrorists’ nefarious activities in the region.
Insecurity in Nigeria’s Northeast region continues to worsen as reports emerge of yet another kidnapping by suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
On Saturday, May 27, four firewood truck drivers were abducted near Ngwom village in Mafa local government. Mafa is about 50 km east of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
The drivers reportedly conveyed laborers, mostly wood fellers and loaders, to the bush when armed terrorists intercepted them.
The terrorists approached the drivers under the guise of needing their services to convey their members to a nearby village. However, the drivers and their passengers were soon taken hostage by the terrorists.
“When we tried to plead with them for mercy, one of them said we should leave immediately,” said one of the laborers, identified only as Abba.
“We were lucky because they have reviewed their policy of targeting poor laborers for kidnapping.”
However, the drivers did not return, and later two of the gunmen appeared and informed the laborers that the four drivers had been kidnapped and wouldn’t be released until each of them paid a ransom of N250,000 (about $500).
The source said the kidnapped drivers were Rawana, Isa, Ba’ana, and Bashir.
This latest incident highlights the growing threat of kidnappings by terrorist groups in the region, which has become a significant concern for the government and citizens.
ISWAP has recently turned to kidnappings of vulnerable villagers, mostly poor IDPs, for petty ransom. This enterprise runs daily and generates revenue for the terrorists.
“Families of the victims are hesitant to report to the police because they often resort to secret crowdfunding to raise the necessary ransom money. The terrorists have threatened to carry out violence if the relatives fail to deliver the money on time,” a local security source, Babangida Musa, said.
Nigerian Army troops have recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP) insurgents in Sambisa Forest, Borno State.
The discovery was made during the ongoing counter-terrorist operation, Operation Desert Sanity II, when troops invaded the Ukuba camp on May 13.
The armory contained many weapons and ammunition, including anti-aircraft guns, AK 47 rifles, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) making materials.
This discovery comes almost two weeks after the troops raided the same camp and recovered several weapons and a Hilux vehicle mounted with an Anti-Aircraft Gun.
Nigerian Army troops discovered a cache of weapons concealed in hidden dug pits by the terrorist group ISWAP, according to intelligence sources.
Experts revealed that the recovered weapons included several variants of Rocket Propelled Grenade Tubes, SMG Rifle, Double Barrel guns, 50 hand grenade bombs, 5 SMK bombs, and other dangerous weapons. The troops also recovered Non-electric detonators, IEDs-making materials, prepared IEDs, and canister bombs.
One terrorist was neutralized, and one AK47 rifle and other items were recovered. Troops successfully evacuated the arms, and their morale and fighting spirit were boosted.
The Nigerian Army’s counter-terrorist operations have weakened the militants’ ability to carry out their activities. Operation Desert-lake-mountain II, which started on April 27, has steadily progressed in the Sambisa-Timbuktu Triangle and Lake Chad shores.
Troops have killed scores of militants and forced others to flee. Recent successful operations have cleared terrorist hideouts, including Garno, Alafa, Alafa D, Garin Doctor, Njumia, Izzah, Farisu, Somalia, Ukuba, Garin Glucose, Garin Ba’aba, and Bula Abu Amir, dealing a massive blow to their activities.
The recovered cache of munitions
The Nigerian Army’s successful recovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition from ISWAP insurgents in Sambisa Forest, plus clearance of several terrorist hideouts, has boosted troops’ morale and fighting spirit.
The Army’s commitment to ensuring citizens’ safety and security is evident. These victories are commendable, and the people of Nigeria appreciate the Army’s dedication, bravery, and unwavering commitment to ending insurgency in the country.
Reporting on the same development earlier, Zagazola Makama, a popular commentator on the ongoing insecurity in the Lake Chad region, said Nigeria troops have been “making steady inroads as ground and air support continue to sustain pressure on the terrorists.
“The troops have killed scores of militants, while many others have been forced to flee.”
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, in conjunction with the troops of Sector 4 of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), killed several terrorists belonging to the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) during a thwarted attack in the North East of Arege, in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to intelligence sources, the ISWAP militants attempted to infiltrate the advancing troops’ harbor using a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) on May 10, 2023, at about 10:19 a.m.
Scene of the EID explosion
The terrorists encountered fierce resistance as the troops unleashed heavy firepower, taking out the approaching VBIED 300 meters from them.
The troops, with support from the Air Task Force, neutralized additional terrorists, while others were forced to flee.
Zagazola Makama, a popularncommentator y Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region, confirmed the successful operation, highlighting the troops’ bravery and tactical expertise.
The operation’s success dealt a “significant blow to the ISWAP militants and bolstered the troops’ morale.”
The Nigerien army said it has intercepted around 1,400 Boko Haram militants who were fleeing to Niger after clashing with rival jihadist group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), with around 30 of them being killed.
The army caught the followers, mostly women and children, who were trying to reach the marshlands of Lake Chad, known to be a bolthole for jihadists.
The movement was first detected on March 7th, while walking along the Kamadougou Yoge River, which marks the border between Nigeria and Niger.
Six days later, Nigerien troops in a regional anti-jihadist task force killed 20 militants and arrested 83 others.
The southeastern region of Diffa, which has borne the brunt of jihadist attacks over the years, has been relatively calm since the beginning of 2023.
However, rebels have planted landmines that continue to claim lives.
At least two members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) were killed and several others were injured in a vehicle accident on Tuesday evening along the highways leading to the Sambisa forest, sources said.
Zagazola Makama, a popular counterinsurgency commentator in the Lake Chad region has also reported this via his verified twitter handle.
BNB Online learnt that the accident involved a Toyota Hilux truck carrying ISWAP terrorists in Galmasku village which was moving at a neck breaking speed, apparently to escape Nigerian troops onslaught
One of the tyres of the over speeding truck exploded and caused the vehicle to overturn repeatedly.
Eyewitnesses said the ISWAP fighters immediately evacuated the dead and injured to a nearby village, Shettima Abor.
From what has been observed about the Lake Chad crisis, so far, it seems that the Nigerian government’s priorities have shifted away from addressing the threat posed by ISWAP.
In 2015, a presidential candidate (Muhammadu Buhari) won the election by promising to “destroy” Boko Haram; however, during the most recent election, ISWAP, an evolution of the Boko Haram, was barely mentioned.
Does this suggests that the group’s presence has been accepted as a fact of life, allowing it to govern according to its interpretation of Shari’a law and collect taxes from the population?
While the Nigerian military’s “super camps” strategy has secured cities and towns, ISWAP retains control over the countryside, leading to a deepened humanitarian crisis and ongoing conflict.
However, this situation has also led to a humanitarian crisis in the region, with millions of people displaced and an ongoing conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. It is worrying that the Nigerian government appears to have accepted ISWAP’s presence as a fact of life rather than actively seeking to eliminate the group and restore peace to the region.
It is important to note that accepting the presence of a terrorist group as a fact of life is not a viable long-term solution. While it may bring a temporary sense of stability, it allows the group to continue to operate and potentially grow in strength, posing a continued threat to both the local population and the wider region.
It was sad that none of the presidential candidates in the last general election made any direct mention of the group nor the strategy they’d deploy to tackle them as they did of Boko Haram in 2015.
The Nigerian government must find a way to address the root causes of the conflict and work towards a lasting peace rather than implicitly tolerating ISWAP’s presence.
Bay States News 