Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have recorded another major breakthrough in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency campaign following the surrender of a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) finance operative in Borno State.
The Nigerian Army announced the development in a statement issued late Saturday by the Acting Military Information Officer, Northeast Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, describing the surrender as a significant blow to the terrorist group’s operational and financial network.
According to the Army, the senior terrorist operative voluntarily surrendered to troops of 3 Battalion under the 24 Task Force Brigade at about 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 25, 2026, along the Ladari–Jegarawa–Tunokalia axis on the Gamboru–Wulgo Main Supply Route in Borno State.
The Army disclosed that the suspect surrendered alongside two male children, marking another addition to the growing number of insurgents and their families laying down their arms in recent weeks.
Captain Goni said the latest surrender comes amid an increasing wave of defections from terrorist camps, revealing that about 46 terrorists and their family members have voluntarily surrendered to troops in recent days as sustained military operations continue to weaken insurgent strongholds across the North-East.
He attributed the development to the series of coordinated and decisive land and air offensives conducted by Operation HADIN KAI against ISWAP and other terrorist enclaves, noting that the relentless pressure has continued to degrade the terrorists’ operational capability and morale.
Preliminary profiling by the military identified the surrendered suspect as the Chief Finance Operative of the ISWAP enclave at Jubillaram, where he was responsible for managing the group’s finances, logistics and other operational support activities.
Troops recovered several items from the suspect, including one AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one motorcycle and ₦40,000 in cash.
The Army said the suspect is currently undergoing detailed profiling and interrogation to obtain actionable intelligence that would support ongoing military operations and aid in identifying and targeting remaining terrorist elements operating across the theatre.
Describing the development as a significant operational success, Captain Goni said the surrender of such a high-ranking finance operative represents another major setback for ISWAP, reflecting the continued erosion of the group’s command structure, operational capability and sustainment network under the sustained pressure of Operation HADIN KAI.
He added that, when viewed alongside the increasing number of recent surrenders, the latest development points to growing disillusionment within terrorist ranks and an accelerating wave of defections from insurgent camps.
The military reaffirmed that Operation HADIN KAI remains committed to restoring lasting peace, security and stability across Nigeria’s North-East region through sustained kinetic and intelligence-driven operations.
The Theatre Command also called on all remaining terrorists to embrace the Federal Government’s non-kinetic initiatives by surrendering and laying down their arms before it is too late.
Captain Goni further appealed to members of the public to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely, credible and actionable intelligence to strengthen ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the region.
