Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a Yobe-based politician, Alhaji Wakiil Goni Mama, popularly known as Mai Salati, over allegations of providing logistics support to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) elements operating in the North-East.
According to security information reported by security analyst Zagazola Makama on X, Mai Salati was arrested after troops allegedly uncovered an attempt to bribe military personnel to secure the release of suspects detained over suspected terrorist logistics activities in Kanamma, Yobe State.
The arrest reportedly followed intelligence-led operations involving the Commander of Sector 2 and the 27 Task Force Brigade as security forces tracked the politician over alleged links with terrorist networks.
Security sources cited in the report said the investigation is focused on allegations that Mai Salati had been operating as a logistics supplier and collaborator for suspected terrorist elements in the North-East.
The sources said troops had earlier arrested several suspects in Kanamma and were processing them for further investigation when Mai Salati allegedly attempted to intervene on their behalf.
He was accused of offering money to soldiers in an attempt to secure the release of the detained suspects.
The troops reportedly rejected the alleged inducement and subsequently arrested the politician.
The suspects were later moved from Damaturu towards Maiduguri for further interrogation and investigation, according to the report.
Security sources also dismissed claims circulating on social media that Mai Salati’s arrest was politically motivated or connected to his alleged defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The sources maintained that the investigation was strictly focused on alleged terrorism-related activities and the reported attempt to interfere with the detention of persons suspected of supplying logistics to ISWAP.
The investigation is expected to establish the nature and extent of the suspects’ alleged connections to terrorist networks and determine whether they played any role in supporting the activities of ISWAP in the region.
Security agencies are particularly focused on disrupting terrorist supply networks, which facilitate the movement of food, fuel, weapons, money, communications equipment and other materials required by armed groups to sustain their operations.
The arrest comes amid continued intelligence-led military operations targeting terrorist groups and their support networks across the North-East, where security forces have intensified efforts to disrupt the operational and logistical structures sustaining insurgent activities.
Mai Salati and the other suspects remain under investigation, and the allegations against them have not been established by any court.