The Nigerian Army has announced the surrender of the Chief Finance Operative of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) to troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), describing it as a major success in the ongoing fight against insurgency in the North-East.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Acting Military Information Officer of the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, said the suspect surrendered to troops of the 3 Battalion under the 24 Task Force Brigade at about 6:45 a.m. on July 25, 2026.
The surrender took place along the Ladari–Jegarawa–Tunokalia axis on the Gamboru–Wulgo Main Supply Route in Borno State.
According to the Army, the development followed a series of coordinated land and air offensives carried out by Operation HADIN KAI against terrorist strongholds, which have continued to pile pressure on insurgent groups.
Captain Goni disclosed that about 46 terrorists and their family members have voluntarily surrendered to military authorities in recent days, reflecting what he described as the increasing impact of ongoing military operations.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect served as the chief finance operative of the ISWAP enclave in Jubillaram, where he was responsible for overseeing the group’s financial activities and logistics. He reportedly surrendered alongside two male children.
Security personnel recovered one AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one motorcycle, and ₦40,000 from the suspect.
The Army said the surrendered operative is currently undergoing detailed profiling and interrogation to obtain intelligence that could assist ongoing military operations and support efforts to dismantle the remaining terrorist network.
The military also stated that the surrender represents another significant blow to ISWAP, weakening the group’s leadership structure, operational capacity, and logistics network.
Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its commitment to restoring lasting peace and security across the North-East and urged other insurgents still in hiding to embrace the Federal Government’s non-kinetic peace initiatives by laying down their arms.
The military further appealed to members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies to strengthen ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
