Military Foils Alleged Terrorist Recruitment Plot, Frees Six Abductees in Zamfara

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a suspected ISWAP/Boko Haram collaborator accused of attempting to recruit members of the Hybrid Forces into terrorist camps operating around the Mandara Mountains in Borno State.

According to an operational report obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the suspect was apprehended on Friday at the Government Secondary School Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Gwoza Town.

Military sources said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly worked closely with terrorist elements and was on a mission to persuade Hybrid Forces personnel to defect and join former colleagues currently operating within insurgent camps.

Investigators believe the recruitment effort was part of a broader plan to lure security personnel into a carefully coordinated ambush where they would be killed and their weapons seized by terrorists.

The report further disclosed that the suspect had allegedly held meetings with a Boko Haram commander operating in the mountainous region before his arrest.

He is currently being held by troops of the 26 Task Force Brigade in Gwoza while investigations continue.

Military authorities described the arrest as another significant step in ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist support networks and prevent the infiltration of local security structures in the North-East.

Six Kidnap Victims Regain Freedom

Meanwhile, troops of Operation Fasan Yamma rescued six kidnapped victims in Zamfara State after sustained military offensives forced their captors to abandon them.

The victims were intercepted by troops of the 1 Brigade Combat Team 6 stationed at the Forward Operating Base in Gwashi, Bukuyyum Local Government Area. According to the report, the victims escaped from captivity following a Nigerian Air Force air interdiction operation conducted west of Bagega Forest.

The rescued victims were identified as Muhammad Sani of Masama, Junaidu Muhammad of Gandun Malam, Abubakar Abdullahi and Abubakar Barau of Maibaka, Surajo Abubakar of Dogon Daji, and Nasiru Hakilu of Adabka village, all in Bukuyyum Local Government Area.

Military authorities said the victims had spent several months in captivity before regaining their freedom. Efforts are ongoing to reunite them with their families and provide necessary support and rehabilitation.

The military reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining pressure on terrorists and bandits until all abducted persons are rescued and affected communities fully secured.

(NAN)