Alleged ISWAP Finance Chief Surrenders To Troops In Borno As 46 Others Lay Down Arms.

 

An alleged senior finance operative of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Musa Usman, has surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Borno State, in what the military described as another major breakthrough in its ongoing counter-insurgency campaign.

According to the Acting Military Information Officer of the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Goni, Usman's surrender came amid a fresh wave of defections from terrorist camps. He said approximately 46 terrorists and their family members also voluntarily surrendered following sustained military pressure.

The military attributed the growing number of defections to intensified land and air offensives that have continued to dismantle insurgent strongholds across the North-East.

Military sources told counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama that intelligence gathered through human sources alerted troops of the 24 Task Force Brigade to the planned surrender of the high-profile ISWAP member along the Ladari–Jegarawaji–Tunokalia corridor on the Gamboru–Wulgo main supply route.

Acting on the intelligence, troops of the 3 Battalion (Mechanised), working alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and Hybrid Forces, intercepted Usman at about 6:45 a.m. on July 25.

The military identified the surrendered suspect as 40-year-old Musa Usman, who arrived with his two sons, Abubakar Musa, 10, and Awwali Musa, 15.

Preliminary interrogation reportedly revealed that Usman served as the chief finance officer of the ISWAP enclave in Jubillaram, where he was responsible for managing the group's finances, logistics, and resource allocation.

Security operatives recovered one AK-47 rifle, four AK-47 magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one motorcycle, and ₦40,000 in cash from the suspect.

Authorities said Usman and his two sons are currently undergoing profiling and further interrogation to provide intelligence that could support ongoing military operations against remaining ISWAP fighters and their support networks.

Operation Hadin Kai reaffirmed its commitment to restoring lasting peace and security across the North-East and urged remaining insurgents to take advantage of the Federal Government's non-kinetic initiatives by surrendering.

The military also appealed to members of the public to continue providing credible and timely intelligence to aid ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the region.