Nigeria’s military has intensified its crackdown on suspected terrorist networks in the North-East following the arrest of a suspected foreign terrorist fighter, a woman who allegedly identified herself as an illegal immigrant from Ghana, and two brothers accused of supplying logistics to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents during separate operations in Borno State.
The arrests, carried out by troops of Operation HADIN KAI on July 19 in Askira/Uba and Damboa Local Government Areas, have heightened concerns over the infiltration of foreign nationals into insurgent networks and the continued existence of local support systems sustaining terrorist operations in the region.
Security sources disclosed that personnel of the 115 Task Force Battalion arrested two foreign suspects during a routine security operation in the Lassa-Dilli axis of Askira/Uba Local Government Area, an area that has remained under sustained military pressure in recent months.
One of the suspects was identified as 32-year-old Musa Fashir, who is alleged to be a Sudanese national believed to have links with terrorist elements operating in Nigeria’s North-East. The second suspect, identified as 36-year-old Mary Florence, reportedly told investigators that she entered Nigeria illegally from Ghana.
The suspects were immediately taken into military custody and are undergoing extensive investigations to establish their identities, immigration status and determine whether they have direct or indirect links to terrorist organisations operating within the country.
Security agencies are also examining how the suspects gained access to the operational area and whether they were collaborating with local insurgent cells or facilitating terrorist activities through logistics or intelligence.
Military sources said the development has renewed concerns over the movement of suspected foreign fighters across Nigeria’s porous borders, a challenge authorities have repeatedly identified as a major factor fuelling insurgency in the North-East.
In a separate operation the same day, troops of the 19 Battalion (Mechanised) and the 25 Task Force Brigade Garrison arrested two brothers allegedly transporting supplies to suspected ISWAP fighters during a farm protection patrol in the Nzuda area of Damboa Local Government Area.
The suspects, identified as 25-year-old Audu Abdullahi and his 30-year-old brother, Shettima Abdullahi, both from Kasabalari village in Damboa, were intercepted at about 10:30 a.m.
Preliminary investigations reportedly indicated that the brothers were conveying materials intended for insurgents operating in the Wajiroko axis.
Recovered from the suspects were two bicycles, a mobile phone containing two SIM cards, an identity card, two bicycle tyres and tubes, six containers of Force Up pesticide, pain-relief medication, a small solar panel, a rechargeable torchlight with battery, two locally fabricated knives and other assorted items.
The suspects and the recovered exhibits remain in military custody pending further investigation.
Military authorities said the two operations underscore the persistent reliance of terrorist groups on both foreign collaborators and local logistics suppliers to sustain insurgent activities across the North-East.
Although no formal charges have yet been announced against the foreign suspects, investigators are conducting comprehensive profiling, document verification and intelligence assessments to determine whether they have previous criminal or terrorist records either within Nigeria or abroad.
Security agencies are also probing possible links between the arrested brothers and ISWAP cells operating within Borno State.
The latest arrests form part of ongoing coordinated operations by Operation HADIN KAI aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves, intercepting collaborators, disrupting supply chains and preventing the movement of insurgents across the theatre of operations.
Military sources described the overall security situation in the North-East as relatively stable but unpredictable, noting that troops have sustained clearance operations, intelligence-led raids and aggressive patrols to degrade the operational capacity of terrorist groups.
Authorities further stressed that continuous surveillance, stronger border security and credible intelligence from local communities remain critical to preventing the infiltration of foreign fighters and dismantling the networks that sustain insurgency.
The four suspects remain in military custody as investigations continue, while security agencies have indicated that additional information will be released as the probe progresses.