Troops have killed a suspected female operative linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) in Borno State and arrested 14 other suspects, including alleged members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Eastern Security Network (ESN), suspected cultists and a deserter soldier, during separate security operations across the country.
Operational reports made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday said the suspected female operative was detected through closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras as she approached a military position from the Sambisa axis.
According to the report, troops of the 222 Battalion at the Forward Operating Base, Kawuri, in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, engaged and killed the suspect before she reached the military’s defensive perimeter.
The report also said troops of Operation MESA arrested a deserter from the 13 Brigade at a checkpoint in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Military personnel reportedly recovered a military uniform and a vehicle from the suspect. Troops also intercepted another vehicle allegedly transporting stolen armoured cables and arrested the driver for further investigation.
In the South-East, troops of Operation UDO KA arrested five suspected members of IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), at Etuekwe Junction in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
The report said the suspects were apprehended at a secluded location believed to be a movement route used by the group.
Elsewhere, troops of the 82 Division Garrison and the 103 Battalion, working alongside other security agencies, arrested eight suspected cultists at Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
According to the report, preliminary investigations linked the suspects to alleged terrorist activities in border communities around Eha-Amufu, between Enugu and Ebonyi states.
The suspects have since been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The report further stated that troops conducting Operations Desert Sanity V, FANSAN YAMMA and Savannah Shield recorded no major security incidents within their respective areas of responsibility during the period under review.
It also disclosed that a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Sub-Delegation in Maiduguri visited Sector 3 of Operation HADIN KAI/Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) at Kinnasara Cantonment in Monguno, Borno State.
During the visit, the ICRC delegation briefed the Sector Commander on the organisation’s humanitarian mandate, its commitment to promoting international humanitarian law and its support for conflict-affected communities across the Lake Chad Basin, the report added.
