Nigerian troops have neutralised a suspected female operative linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)/Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and arrested 14 suspected criminals, including alleged IPOB/ESN members, cultists and a deserter soldier, during separate security operations across the country.
According to operational reports made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, the suspected female terrorist was detected through CCTV surveillance while approaching a military position from the Sambisa Forest axis in Borno State.
The report said troops of the 222 Battalion stationed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kawuri in Konduga Local Government Area neutralised the suspect before she could reach the military’s defensive perimeter.
In a separate operation, troops of Operation MESA arrested a deserter soldier attached to the 13 Brigade at a security checkpoint in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Security operatives reportedly recovered a military uniform and a vehicle from the suspect during the arrest. Troops also intercepted another vehicle conveying suspected stolen armoured cables and arrested its driver for further investigation.
In the South-East, troops under Operation UDO KA apprehended five suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), at Etuekwe Junction in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
The report stated that the suspects were arrested at a secluded location believed to serve as a movement route for members of the criminal group.
Meanwhile, troops of the 82 Division Garrison and the 103 Battalion, working in collaboration with other security agencies, arrested eight suspected cultists at Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Preliminary investigations reportedly linked the suspects to terrorist-related activities in border communities between Enugu and Ebonyi states. They have since been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The military also disclosed that troops conducting Operations Desert Sanity V, FANSAN YAMMA and Savannah Shield recorded no major security incidents within their respective areas of responsibility during the period under review.
In a related development, a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Sub-Delegation in Maiduguri visited Sector 3 of Operation HADIN KAI/Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) at Kinnasara Cantonment in Monguno, Borno State.
During the visit, the ICRC delegation briefed the Sector Commander on the organisation’s humanitarian mandate, reaffirming its commitment to promoting International Humanitarian Law and providing support to conflict-affected communities across the Lake Chad Basin.
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