Top ISWAP Finance Operative, Two Sons Surrender to Troops in Borno

A senior financial operative of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), alongside two of his male children, has surrendered to troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation HADIN KAI in Borno State.

The development, described by the military as a major operational breakthrough, reportedly occurred at about 6:45 a.m on July 25, 2026, along the Ladari–Jegarawa–Tunokalia axis of the Gamboru–Wulgo Main Supply Route.

The Acting Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed the development in a statement on Sunday.

Although the identity of the surrendered terrorist was not disclosed, the military said preliminary profiling indicated that he served as the chief finance operative of an ISWAP enclave in Jubillaram.

According to the statement, the operative was responsible for managing the group's financial activities and logistics before deciding to lay down his arms and surrender alongside his two sons.

“The terrorist surrendered to troops of 3 Battalion under 24 Task Force Brigade at about 6:45 a.m on 25 July 2026 along the Ladari–Jegarawa–Tunokalia axis on the Gamboru–Wulgo Main Supply Route,” the statement said.

The military attributed the surrender to sustained kinetic and intelligence-driven operations targeting terrorist enclaves across the North-East.

Items recovered from the surrendered operative included one AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one motorcycle and ₦40,000.

The suspect is currently undergoing detailed profiling and interrogation, with the military expected to use the information obtained to support ongoing operations and identify other terrorist elements operating in the theatre.

The Joint Task Force said the surrender of a senior financial operative represented a significant setback for ISWAP, particularly given the strategic role of financial and logistics networks in sustaining terrorist operations.

The development also comes amid what the military described as a growing wave of defections from terrorist ranks, with approximately 46 terrorists and their family members reportedly surrendering to troops in recent days.

The military said the increasing number of surrenders reflected growing pressure on terrorist strongholds and suggested a weakening of the group's command structure, operational capacity and logistics network.

It further linked the latest defection to recent coordinated land and air offensives conducted by Operation HADIN KAI against terrorist enclaves across the region.

“The surrender of such a key finance operative represents another significant setback for ISWAP, reflecting the growing erosion of the group’s command structure, operational capability, and sustainment network under the relentless pressure of Operation HADIN KAI,” Goni said.

He added that the rising number of defections pointed to “deepening disillusionment within terrorist ranks” and an accelerating wave of surrenders from terrorist camps.

The Theatre Command urged other members of terrorist groups to take advantage of the Federal Government's non-kinetic initiatives and lay down their arms.

It also appealed to residents to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could strengthen ongoing counter-terrorism operations.

The latest surrender comes as Nigerian security forces intensify efforts to disrupt terrorist networks in the North-East through a combination of military offensives, intelligence operations and initiatives aimed at encouraging fighters to abandon insurgent groups.