Army arrests wanted soldier over alleged supply of military gear to terrorists

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have arrested a serving Nigerian Army soldier who had been declared wanted for allegedly supplying military accoutrements and other operational items to terrorist groups operating in Nigeria’s North-East.

The suspect, identified as Private Mohammed Yusuf (service number 23NA/84/1939) of the Nigerian Army Ordnance Training Facility (NAOTF), Lagos, was apprehended on July 25, 2026, during an intelligence-led operation carried out by personnel of the 7 Provost Group in Maiduguri, Borno State.

According to security sources, the operation was the culmination of weeks of surveillance after intelligence reports linked the soldier to the alleged diversion of military equipment to terrorist elements.

Investigators said the suspect allegedly abandoned his duty post before travelling to Maiduguri on July 7, shortly after he was declared wanted by military authorities.

Rather than reporting to his assigned unit, he reportedly went into hiding while allegedly maintaining contact with individuals suspected of supporting terrorist logistics networks in the region.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the soldier was allegedly sheltered at Gomari Costain in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State by another serving soldier, Private Baba Kamal Sale (service number 25NA/89/12687) of the Corps of Intelligence.

Military authorities have launched investigations into the second soldier to determine the extent of his alleged involvement in the case.

READ ALSO:

• BREAKING: Bandits Abduct Kebbi High Court Judge in Midnight Residence Attack
• Why Buhari refused to publicly endorse Tinubu before APC primary – Babachir Lawal
• Oyetola, VP’s aide, Opeifa to drive discussions at 2026 TCAN Transport Summit 

Acting on actionable intelligence, operatives of the 7 Provost Group mounted continuous surveillance before intercepting Private Yusuf at Jidari Bus Stop, where he was reportedly attempting to cross into Cameroon.

The suspect was arrested without incident and is currently being held in military custody.

According to security sources, investigators are interrogating the soldier over allegations that he supplied military accoutrements, uniforms and other operational materials to terrorist groups, including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram.

The ongoing investigation is also focused on identifying possible collaborators within and outside the military, uncovering financial transactions linked to the alleged activities and dismantling any logistics networks supporting insurgent operations.

Military officials believe intelligence obtained from the suspect could help expose supply routes used to move military materials to terrorists and reveal individuals facilitating such operations.

The arrest comes as Operation HADIN KAI intensifies coordinated land and air offensives across Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, targeting terrorist enclaves and disrupting insurgent activities.

In recent months, troops have recorded significant operational successes, including the neutralisation of terrorist commanders, destruction of camps, recovery of arms and ammunition, rescue of kidnapped victims and the surrender of dozens of insurgents and their family members.

Security experts have consistently warned that insider collaboration remains one of the major threats to counter-insurgency operations, noting that the diversion of military equipment can significantly enhance the operational capabilities of terrorist groups.

They say identifying and dismantling insider networks is critical to protecting military personnel, safeguarding operational intelligence and weakening terrorist logistics.

Military authorities reiterated that the Nigerian Army maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward personnel involved in misconduct, corruption or collaboration with criminal and terrorist organisations.

They stressed that any officer or soldier found undermining national security would face disciplinary measures and prosecution in accordance with the Armed Forces Act and other applicable laws.

The Army also appealed to members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies, saying community support remains vital to ongoing counter-terrorism efforts across the North-East.

Investigations into the case are continuing as security agencies work to determine the full extent of the alleged network and ensure that all individuals connected to the diversion of military materials are brought to justice.

Army arrests wanted soldier over alleged supply of military gear to terrorists

Osun NURTW Crisis: Oyewale Takes Office, Declares Peace as Govt, Police Maintain Stance

The newly inaugurated Caretaker Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) , Osun State Council, Alhaji Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as Ashiri Eniba, has officially assumed office and assured residents that peace has returned to motor parks across the state, announcing the resumption of union activities following the resolution of its leadership crisis. The state council had been embroiled in a leadership dispute between the Oyewale faction and the faction led by Nurudeen Wakili, popularly known as Alowonle. The crisis resulted in protests, violence, disruption of commercial activities and the suspension of union operations in motor parks by local government chairmen across the state.

The crisis escalated on July 20, 2026, when members of the Oyewale faction staged a protest in Osogbo, alleging that the dominant faction prevented their vehicles from accessing a motor park. The protest degenerated into violent clashes, with gunshots causing panic among residents, and three security operatives sustained gunshot injuries during the confrontation. The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), comprising chairmen elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, subsequently announced the suspension of public transport union activities in motor parks across the state and appointed Oyewale as chairman of the NURTW caretaker committee. He was later inaugurated by the national leadership of the union at its headquarters in Garki, Abuja, despite the Osun State Government‘s opposition to the move.

Speaking after assuming office on Saturday, Oyewale said the newly constituted state executive members were recently invited to Abuja, where they were inaugurated to oversee the affairs of the Osun State Council. He appealed to residents not to associate members of the union with violence, describing commercial drivers as law-abiding citizens committed to their livelihoods. Oyewale also urged the police to conclude investigations into the killings of some union members during the crisis and called on members who had stayed away to return to the union. According to him, leadership changes are normal in every organisation, which is why they were invited to Abuja for their inauguration to officially take charge of the affairs of the Osun State Council. He assured the people of Osun State that commercial drivers are not hoodlums but responsible family men, expressing hope that the police would complete their investigations into the killings recorded during the crisis and ensure justice is served.

READ ALSO:

• Is Nigeria’s Electricity Tariff Going Up? FG Finally Breaks Silence
• ISWAP finance chief surrenders to Nigerian troops with two children in Borno
• Al-Mustapha Fires Back: Ex-DSS Officer’s Account of Abacha’s Death Is a Lie, I Have CCTV Evidence

Oyewale further stated that their doors remain open to every member because they are one family, appealing to those who have stayed away to return to the union. He also urged the Osun State Government to work with them, stressing that they are ready to cooperate with all stakeholders because they are an independent union. He assured residents that peace has returned to motor parks and all issues have been resolved, commending the Nigeria Police Force for its role in restoring peace and encouraging officers to remain committed to maintaining security. He added that commercial activities would fully resume across garages on Monday.

Also speaking, the union’s Interim Secretary and Group 2 Chairman for Ife Federal Constituency, Ayinde Mutiu, said normal activities had resumed across motor parks following the resolution of the leadership dispute. He appealed to members to embrace peace and avoid actions capable of disrupting public order, stressing that the NURTW remains one united family despite the recent challenges.

The national leadership of the NURTW, led by President Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has backed the caretaker committee, insisting that no state governor has the legal authority to suspend the union’s activities. Represented by Deputy National President Aliyu Issa Ore, MC Oluomo argued that the NURTW is a statutory body established by law and operates independently of state governments, pointing out that the union had successfully challenged similar actions by state governments in court in the past. Ore explained that the caretaker committee was constituted to provide leadership for the union in Osun ahead of the forthcoming governorship election, citing the union’s Memorandum of Understanding with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the transportation of election materials.

However, the Osun State Government has maintained its opposition to Oyewale’s leadership. In a statement, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Alimi, clarified that the government only suspended union activities in motor parks pending the restoration of peace and did not dissolve the Alowonle-led executive. The government reaffirmed that Alowonle and his executive remain the only recognised leadership of the union and directed security agencies to remove Oyewale and his supporters from motor parks across the state. The Osun State Government further argued that the move by ALGON to appoint a caretaker committee was illegal and unconstitutional, noting that Governor Ademola Adeleke did not at any point remove the NURTW leadership. The government submitted that the tenure of the Alowonle executive is yet to lapse and that attempting to impose a suspect in violent crimes as state chairman is an affront to the law.

The Osun State Police Command has also confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with the July 20 clash, with Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan disclosing that operatives recovered six expended cartridges, four vehicles, four motorcycles, military camouflage and suspected criminal charms from the suspects. Meanwhile, the Osun State APC has criticised Governor Adeleke’s directive suspending NURTW activities, describing the order as unconstitutional and beyond the governor’s powers. The party cited a Court of Appeal judgment involving the Oyo State Government and the NURTW, where the appellate court declared Governor Seyi Makinde’s 2019 suspension of the union’s activities unlawful and unconstitutional.

Osun NURTW Crisis: Oyewale Takes Office, Declares Peace as Govt, Police Maintain Stance

Ex-IG Okiro: FG’s Decision to Scrap Anti-Terror Squad Birthed Boko Haram Insurgency

• The former police chief, who turned 77 last week, says he had monitored Mohammed Yusuf and arrested him multiple times before the sect struck in 2009

Former Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Mbama Okiro, has blamed the Federal Government’s decision to dismantle the Police Anti-Terrorist Squad shortly after his retirement in 2009 for the emergence and spread of the Boko Haram insurgency, describing the move as a costly policy error that denied Nigeria the opportunity to stop terrorism before it escalated into a national crisis.

Okiro, who served as IGP between June 1, 2007, and July 24, 2009, and recently marked his 77th birthday, made this revelation in an interview. He said the anti-terrorism unit he established in November 2007 was abandoned following criticism from some quarters, leaving the country vulnerable to the insurgency that erupted weeks after his retirement.

The former police chief, who also served as Chairman of the Police Service Commission from May 2013 to April 2018, said the Anti-Terrorist Squad was created to detect and neutralise emerging terrorist threats. He disclosed that officers of the squad were trained in Israel, Egypt, Sudan and South Africa, countries with known histories of combating terrorism.

Okiro recalled that he had trained the squad operationally to reduce costs and also established a Police Anti-Terrorist Squad Training School in Rivers State, where experts from outside were brought in to teach operatives. He expressed regret that the school no longer exists.

The former IGP said opposition to the initiative came from individuals who falsely alleged that the squad was designed to target members of a particular religion. He recalled that some newspapers wrote editorials against the initiative, arguing at the time that terrorism was not a threat in Nigeria.

“Some people came up and alleged that Okiro has created the anti-terrorist squad to gather members of a particular religion and shoot them as terrorists. Two newspapers wrote editorials on that, claiming there is no terrorism in Nigeria, that I created ATS to give Nigeria a bad name to the outside world,” Okiro said.

READ ALSO:

• Is Nigeria’s Electricity Tariff Going Up? FG Finally Breaks Silence
• ISWAP finance chief surrenders to Nigerian troops with two children in Borno
• Al-Mustapha Fires Back: Ex-DSS Officer’s Account of Abacha’s Death Is a Lie, I Have CCTV Evidence

He explained that despite publicly defending the initiative, the Federal Government declined to approve funds required to equip the squad with operational vehicles, communication gadgets and other logistics. However, he still deployed units to Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Maiduguri, but some state governors requested the withdrawal of the operatives from their states.

“I retired July 24, 2009. By August to September, Boko Haram had struck in Maiduguri. Since then Nigeria has known no peace. If government had insisted on the ATS and equipped it, the story would have been different today,” Okiro said.

The former police boss disclosed that security agencies had been monitoring Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf before the insurgency erupted, adding that he personally arrested him multiple times.

“I monitored Mohammed Yusuf from Yobe to Maiduguri. I arrested him a couple of times. If government had taken action then, the story would have been different. It is late now. They have spread all over Nigeria,” he stated.

Okiro lamented that Nigeria has not made significant progress in addressing insecurity, stressing that the problem has been with the nation for decades. He cited his experience as Commissioner of Police in Lagos when the Oodua People’s Congress had taken over security because the police had failed.

“We are not making progress. The situation had been bad right from time. We are all Nigerians, let us face facts. The situation has been like this, likewise the economic situation,” Okiro said.

He attributed persistent security challenges to inadequate funding, poor manpower, and obsolete equipment across security agencies. According to him, the police, as the lead agency for internal security, cannot effectively combat crime without modern surveillance technology, reliable communication systems, drones, and other advanced security infrastructure.

“The agencies should be well funded, have manpower, have equipment. The world is so advanced now that you can send drones to fight crime and insecurity, it’s no longer physical security like we have in those days. Nigerians are very intelligent. If they are given what they require they will excel,” he said.

On the 2027 general elections, Okiro urged security agencies to remain neutral and avoid partisanship, warning that interference in the electoral process beyond maintaining law and order could undermine the credibility of the polls.

Reflecting on his policing career, the 77-year-old former Inspector-General recounted how he prevented a violent attack on a son of the late Head of State General Sani Abacha during a high-profile court appearance in Lagos by secretly relocating the trial venue from Igbosere to Ikeja. He described the strategy as one of the defining moments of his career. At the time, the OPC had gathered at Igbosere with cutlasses, sticks, broken bottles and jerry cans of petrol, vowing to kill Abacha’s son.

Okiro, who holds a law degree, also narrated how he reluctantly joined the police after hating the profession as a student union leader at the University of Ibadan. He said he picked the police from six job offers after praying to God for guidance. His father, who wanted him to join the Rivers State Civil Service, initially opposed his decision but later prayed for him.

Ex-IG Okiro: FG’s Decision to Scrap Anti-Terror Squad Birthed Boko Haram Insurgency

The Sun