Military uncovers ISWAP leadership network, offers reward for capture of top terrorist leader

Michael Olumide Alabi

Operation Hadin Kai has announced a major intelligence breakthrough in the ongoing fight against terrorism in the North-East, identifying several senior commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and ISIS operating around the Lake Chad Basin following successful military operations in northern Borno State.

The Joint Task Force disclosed that the breakthrough was achieved after troops carried out sustained offensive operations against terrorist enclaves in the Lake Chad region, leading to the recovery of high-value intelligence materials and electronic devices used by the insurgents.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, one of the most significant items recovered was a camcorder allegedly used by ISWAP terrorists to produce propaganda videos and document their operational activities.

The military said forensic analysis of the recovered devices yielded actionable intelligence that enabled security agencies to identify terrorist locations as well as the identities of several senior ISWAP leaders operating within the Mangari–Metele–Dogon Chukun axis along the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin in Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas of Borno State.

Among those identified are Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, described as the Wali (Governor) of the ISIS West Africa Province; his deputy and Amirul Jaish, Muhammad Jidda, also known as “The One-Handed Man”; and Hamad Abu Hanifa, identified as the Amirul-Fiya of ISWAP, alongside other key operatives.
Operation Hadin Kai described Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa as the most wanted ISWAP leader currently operating within the Lake Chad Basin, stressing that security agencies are intensifying efforts to apprehend him.

To facilitate his arrest, the military announced that it would offer a substantial financial reward to anyone who provides credible and actionable information leading directly to his capture.

The task force assured members of the public that all information received would be handled with the highest level of confidentiality and that the identities of informants would be fully protected in line with established security procedures.

Operation Hadin Kai appealed to residents and communities across the North-East to continue supporting ongoing counter-terrorism operations by volunteering timely and credible intelligence capable of assisting security agencies in locating and arresting the identified terrorist leaders.

The military urged anyone with relevant information to report through established security reporting channels or via the dedicated hotline 0708 498 8859.

However, the task force warned citizens against attempting to confront or apprehend the suspected terrorists themselves, advising that all intelligence should be left in the hands of security agencies to ensure public safety.

The latest development underscores the military’s sustained efforts to dismantle terrorist leadership structures through intelligence-led operations and continued offensives aimed at restoring lasting peace and security across the North-East and the Lake Chad region.