Six Suspected Boko Haram Members, Relatives Surrender to Troops in Gwoza, Over ₦1.5m Recovered
By Zagazola Makama
Six suspected Boko Haram members and their family members have surrendered to troops of Operation HADIN KAI in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State following sustained military pressure on terrorist enclaves in the Mandara Mountains.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the first group surrendered at about 6:00 a.m. on July 4 to troops of D Company, 192 Battalion (Motorised).
The group comprised Hamman Zaha, 65, and his wife, Falmatu Yahaya, 55, who disclosed during preliminary interrogation that they had escaped from the Guduf-Bubayagwa terrorist enclave in the Mandara Mountains.
According to the sources, troops recovered ₦943,000 from the couple at the point of surrender.
In a related development, another group of four surrendered about 45 minutes later to troops of C Company, 192 Battalion (Motorised) in Gwoza.
The group consisted of Ali Garba, 31; Ismail Yakubu, 27; Aisha Musa, 60; and Amina Garba, 50, who told investigators they had fled the Chikide terrorist enclave, also located in the Mandara Mountains.
The escapees said they decided to abandon the camp due to sustained military offensives, worsening hardship and the lack of basic necessities within the insurgents’ enclave.
Troops recovered two Tecno mobile phones and ₦593,500 from the second group.
Military sources said all six individuals had been screened, documented and taken into custody by the 192 Battalion (Motorised) for further investigation.
The sources added that the two adult male suspects, believed to have had links with the insurgents, as well as the source of the more than ₦1.5 million recovered from both groups, would be subjected to further interrogation to establish the circumstances surrounding the funds and determine any operational or logistical connections.
Security sources noted that the latest surrender underscores the growing pressure being mounted on terrorist hideouts across the Mandara Mountains through sustained ground operations, forcing more insurgents and their relatives to abandon the enclaves.
They added that although the overall security situation across the North-East theatre remains relatively calm, it is still unpredictable, with troops maintaining a high level of vigilance and operational readiness.
