ISWAP finance officer and his sons give up to army in Borno

A senior finance officer of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), along with his two sons, has given up to soldiers of the Joint Task Force North East, called Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK).

This surrender happened on Saturday along the Ladari, Jegarawa, Tunokalia route on the Gamboru, Wulgo main supply road in Borno State.

The insurgent laid down his weapons to the troops of the 3rd Battalion, which is part of the 24th Task Force Brigade.

An official statement on Sunday from the Acting Media Information Officer for Headquarters OPHK, Mohammed Goni, said that early profiling identified the surrendered man as the Chief Finance Operative of the ISWAP group in Jubillaram. He managed the group’s logistics and finances.

Troops found an AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammo, a motorcycle, and ₦40,000 in cash during this operation.

Captain Goni said that the surrender was due to ongoing land and air attacks on terrorist hideouts in the area. He pointed out that the surrender of a main logistics officer is a serious hit to ISWAP’s ability to operate, its command structure, and supply lines.

“The surrender of such a key finance officer is another big setback for ISWAP,” Goni said. “With the rising number of recent surrenders, this shows growing disappointment among terrorists and hints at a wave of defections.”

Military sources said that about 46 terrorists and their families have given themselves up to troops in recent days due to increasing pressure from military operations.

The suspect and his sons are now undergoing detailed profiling and questioning to gather useful information for ongoing military efforts, according to the statement.

The Theatre Command called on remaining insurgents to surrender and take advantage of the Federal Government’s non-violent programs. They also urged the public to keep giving timely information to security agencies, as stated by the army.