Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have recorded another significant breakthrough in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign in the North-East, identifying several senior leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following the exploitation of intelligence materials recovered during recent offensive operations around the Lake Chad Basin.
The development followed successful military operations against terrorist enclaves in the Lake Chad region of northern Borno State, during which troops recovered several technical devices and other high-value intelligence materials abandoned by fleeing terrorists.
Among the items recovered was a camcorder used by ISWAP operatives to record propaganda videos and document operational activities. Subsequent forensic exploitation of the device generated actionable intelligence that enabled security forces to identify terrorist locations and uncover the identities of key ISWAP commanders 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.
The identified terrorist leaders include Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, the Wali (Governor) of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP); his deputy and Amirul Jaish, Muhammad Jidda, popularly known as “The One-Handed Man”; and Hamad Abu Hanifa, the Amirul-Fiya of ISWAP, among other senior operatives.
The identification of these high-ranking terrorist leaders would significantly enhance ongoing operations by enabling more targeted intelligence-led missions against the group’s leadership structure, logistics networks and operational bases. Security experts have consistently maintained that degrading the command and control capabilities of terrorist organisations is critical to disrupting their ability to recruit, coordinate attacks and sustain operations.
Operation HADIN KAI is a joint military operation comprising personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Navy, working in close coordination with other security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Recent operational successes have increasingly reflected the dividends of enhanced inter-agency collaboration, improved intelligence sharing, coordinated planning and the integration of advanced intelligence exploitation capabilities, coordinated at the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The latest development comes amid sustained offensive operations by Operation HADIN KAI aimed at denying terrorist groups freedom of movement, dismantling their command structures and restoring lasting peace to the North-East. Military authorities have continued to intensify both kinetic and intelligence-driven operations against ISWAP and Boko Haram strongholds, with recent operations yielding significant recoveries of weapons, equipment and intelligence materials that continue to shape subsequent military actions.
The Armed Forces have reiterated their commitment to sustaining the operational momentum through continued collaboration among the military, intelligence and other security agencies, while urging members of the public to continue supporting security efforts by providing credible and timely information capable of assisting ongoing operations.
