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ISWAP Intercepts Food Meant For IDPs In Borno, Loots 4 Trucks

Published

4 years ago

July 9, 2022

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Lucky Irabor

Members of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have attacked a convoy of 40 trucks of food meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and resettled communities in Borno and intercepted four of them, Daily Trust Saturday learnt exclusively.

The attack, which occurred Thursday night around Layi village in Mobbar Local Government Area of the state, came barely 48 hours after terrorists launched a heavy attack on Kuje Medium Security Prison in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) freeing at least 69 Boko Haram suspects and hundreds of others. The ISWAP on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the attack.

Top security sources who were briefed about the Borno attack told Daily Trust Saturday that the food and nutritional products consignment was on its way to Damasak.

It was part of the palliative by the World Food Program (WFP) for IDPs from Abadam and victims of the Boko Haram violence returning to their homes in Mobbar.

“The attackers were in four gun trucks. After heavy attacks on the convoy, they succeeded in intercepting four of the vehicles and emptied nearly everything from the vehicles,” the source said.

It was also gathered that the terrorists are now firming up their control of major roads and strategic areas in the southern and northern parts of Borno.

Intelligence sources in the area have reported that ISWAP members in four trucks have been deployed to Kareto village in Mobbar Local Government Area.

Terror group plans eid prayer in ‘captured’ communities, enclaves

As part of their expansionist activities, the terror groups are said to have concluded plans to conduct eid prayers in some of the areas under their control, today (Saturday).

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Credible sources said like what obtained in the past years, Boko Haram members loyal to late Abubakar Shekau, and those loyal to ISWAP led by late Abu Musab Albarnawi, the son of late Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf, have, among others, cleared grounds around the shores of the Lake Chad and Sambisa forest and would observe the Eid-el-Kabir prayer there.

They, therefore, called on security agencies to checkmate the effrontery of the terrorists saying they use such festivities for massive recruitments of innocent people into their fold.

One of the sources said even though, Nigerian security forces have uprooted Boko Haram fighters from many villages and forested areas in Borno and neighbouring Yobe State, they are still lurking around in many communities.

“The terrorists are fully mobilised for celebrations at many Tunbus (islands) on the Lake Chad and their enclaves in Sambisa Forest,” he said.

Another source said the excesses of the terrorists cast Nigeria in bad light at the international level.

“It is unthinkable the way they release videos of their atrocities. Such videos show that once the terrorists go out for their operations, they would do it with ease because nobody can stop them.

“The videos they released recently after the attack on Kuje prison is one bad example that showed our weak links. And unless something is done, they would also release videos of their eid prayers.

“They would release their propaganda videos slaughtering their sacrificial animals to the chagrin of those in authority…I am calling on our security forces to act by decimating them,” he said.

Another source said with the commencement of the rainy season, Nigerian troops are constrained by environmental factors which is affecting their performance.

He said they cannot access many communities this time, paving way for the terrorists to replenish their supplies and logistics, as well as recruit vulnerable youths ahead of future fights.

He said the forces had missed a golden opportunity during the dry season when hundreds of terrorists came out of their enclaves and repented.

“Why didn’t we finish the terrorists’ campaign in the North East this year? We had thousands surrendering, weakening the fighting spirits of the terrorists, but we could not clear the Tunbus, surroundings of Timbuktu Triangle and Sambisa Forest.

“Now we are bound to wait until the end of the raining season to kick start another operation.

“Why haven’t we done enough to acquire all weather APC and AFV and constantly revert to seasonal warfare?

“Does this mean, knowing that our North East flanks or neighbours are our most vulnerable porous security concern, yet, no efforts towards acquisition of these all important weapons?

“Must we wait till tomorrow when the Chadian or Cameroonian forces enter Maiduguri before we rush to the markets?

“Is the military waiting for Buhari’s handing over before clearing the terrorists or to use it as an election campaign strategy?”, he asked.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Correctional Service has released the names and pictures of the inmates with terrorism-related cases that escaped from the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Abuja.

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The inmates escaped from the correctional centre following an attack on the facility by members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Tuesday.

The ISWAP claimed the responsibility for the attacked in a 30-second video on Wednesday.

In a statement by the spokesperson of the Service, Umar Abubakar, it was revealed that 879 inmates fled but 443 of the escapees were recaptured, bringing the total number of inmates in the facility to 578.

Also, the Minister of Defence, Major-General Bashir Magashi, said all the Boko Haram terrorists in the facility escaped during the attack.

However, the Service released the names and images of 69 inmates being tried for terrorism, including Abdulkareem Musa, Abdulsalam Adamu, Bello Haruna , Ismail Abdullahi , Modu Aji, Yakubu Abdullahi, Abdulmannan Obadiki, Abubakar Umar.

Others are Bassey Kingsley, Diko Iko, Fannami Bukar, Ishaq Farouq, Mohammed Buba and Mohammed Kyari.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has received briefing from security chiefs on the latest development on Tuesday’s terrorist attack on the Kuje Custodial Centre.

Confirming this to State House correspondents after the meeting of the National Security Council, presided over by the president yesterday, the Minister of Police Affairs, Maigari Dingyadi, said heads of security agencies briefed the president on what actually happened in Kuje and the way forward.

“The service chiefs have been given very clear directives to ensure that adequate measures are taken, not only to investigate what happened, but also to take steps to forestall a occurrence of such incident,” he said.

He said the security personnel deployed to man the custodial centre at Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) did their best to repel the attack but were subdued by the superior weaponry of the terrorists.

The minister, who said the terrorists succeeded because of their large number and superior firepower, stated that President Buhari had directed the service chiefs to not only ensure that adequate measures were taken after the ongoing probe into the cause of the incident, but also to take steps to forestall the reoccurrence of such incidents.

Dingyadi, who said the president expressed deep concern over the recent developments, stated that some of the assailants were killed.

He said, “Some of them were killed. But I can’t give you the number; and I don’t know the number because like they do, whenever one of them is killed, they take the corpse away, so you cannot know the number of people who have been killed. But definitely, quite a number of them were killed and many of them ran way with bullet wounds.”

He said the meeting convened by President Buhari reviewed the security situation in the country, particularly the Kuje jailbreak, banditry in Katsina, as well as the various attacks on Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.

DAILY TRUST

Related Topics:Borno Featured IDPs ISWAP

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Zulum Defends NAF Airstrike, Says Jilli Market Closed Five Years Ago

Published

10 hours ago

April 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum

Zulum Defends NAF Airstrike, Says Jilli Market Closed Five Years Ago

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum has defended the Nigerian military over a controversial airstrike in Jilli, insisting that the location widely described as a “market” had been shut down for years due to insurgency.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, the governor said the Jilli market in Gubio Local Government Area—located along the Borno–Yobe border—was officially closed about five years ago as part of security measures to curb terrorist activities.

Zulum described Jilli as a notorious hub allegedly used by insurgents and their logistics networks, stressing that it no longer functioned as a legitimate civilian marketplace.

“I have been properly briefed on the airstrike carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai on Jilli market… Let me state categorically that the Borno State Government closed Jilli and Gazabure markets five years ago,” the governor said.

He added that his administration is in active consultation with the Yobe State Government and military authorities to fully assess the situation and ensure proper coordination going forward.

The airstrike, carried out on April 11, 2026, by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, reportedly targeted suspected terrorist positions in the area following intelligence reports and earlier operations in the corridor.

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However, initial reports indicated that over 50 people were feared killed, sparking concern over possible civilian casualties and raising questions about the nature of the target.

Eyewitness accounts suggested that the strike hit a location believed by locals to be a weekly trading point, triggering panic among residents as explosions rocked the area.

In response, Zulum emphasised that the Borno State Government maintains strict protocols before reopening markets or resettling communities affected by insurgency, noting that such decisions are made in close coordination with security agencies.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to protecting civilians while supporting military operations aimed at dismantling insurgent networks across the North-East.

The governor also urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security forces by providing credible intelligence that could aid ongoing counterinsurgency efforts.

Military authorities have yet to release a detailed official report confirming casualty figures or clarifying the full circumstances of the strike.

Security analysts say the incident highlights the complex challenges of counterinsurgency warfare, where distinguishing between civilian activity and insurgent logistics hubs remains difficult, particularly in volatile border communities.

Despite the controversy, the Nigerian military has continued intensified operations across key areas in Borno and neighbouring states, targeting supply routes and strongholds used by extremist groups.

Zulum Defends NAF Airstrike, Says Jilli Market Closed Five Years Ago

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BREAKING: Troops Arrest 15-Year-Old Linked to Killing of Gen Braimah in Borno

Published

11 hours ago

April 12, 2026

Trends Admin

BREAKING: Troops Arrest 15-Year-Old Linked to Killing of Gen Braimah in Borno

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have arrested a 15-year-old suspect allegedly involved in the deadly attack that killed Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, another officer, and two soldiers in Borno State.

The suspect, identified simply as Tijjani, was apprehended on Sunday in Ngamdu while reportedly on an errand to procure food supplies for members of his group.

In a video recorded after his arrest, the teenager confessed to being part of the armed group responsible for coordinated attacks in Benisheik and Ngamdu, areas that have witnessed renewed insurgent activity in recent months.

According to the suspect, the group operated from Jilli, a location described by military sources as a known logistics and movement hub for insurgents in the region. He said they moved from Jilli to carry out the attack and later returned to the same location.

Tijjani further disclosed that he had been sent with about ₦850,000 to collect logistics supplies from Ngamdu before his arrest. He added that he left his colleagues behind at Jilli and was unaware of subsequent developments following the operation.

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The late General Braimah, who commanded the 29 Task Force Brigade under Operation HADIN KAI, was killed on Thursday when suspected Boko Haram fighters launched an assault on a military base in the area. The attack also claimed the lives of another officer and two soldiers, underscoring the persistent threat posed by insurgent groups in the North-East.

Military sources indicate that the arrest of the teenage suspect is part of ongoing intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and cutting off their supply chains across Borno State.

Security analysts say the involvement of minors in insurgent activities highlights a disturbing pattern of recruitment by extremist groups, who often deploy young individuals for logistics, surveillance, and operational roles.

The Nigerian military has intensified surveillance and clearance operations across key corridors such as Jilli, Ngamdu, and Benisheik, following recent attacks, with the aim of preventing further assaults and restoring stability in the region.

Authorities have yet to issue a comprehensive official statement on the arrest, but security operations are expected to continue as efforts to track down other members of the group intensify.

The development comes amid renewed commitment by Operation HADIN KAI to sustain pressure on insurgents and disrupt their activities across the North-East.

BREAKING: Troops Arrest 15-Year-Old Linked to Killing of Gen Braimah in Borno

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Fayose Warns Makinde May Query Olubadan Over Absence at Ibadan Coronation Event

Published

12 hours ago

April 12, 2026

Trends Admin

Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja

Fayose Warns Makinde May Query Olubadan Over Absence at Ibadan Coronation Event

Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has suggested that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde may issue an official query to the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, following his absence at a recent high chiefs’ coronation ceremony in Ibadan.

The event, held at Mapo Hall, saw Governor Makinde present beaded crowns to three newly elevated traditional rulers as part of ongoing chieftaincy reforms in Ibadanland. However, the absence of the Olubadan from the April 3 ceremony has sparked public debate and political reactions.

Fayose, speaking on the development, claimed that the monarch’s absence—reportedly due to a prior engagement in Lagos—alongside other alleged concerns, could prompt a formal government query in the coming days. He did not provide official documentation but insisted the situation could escalate into a government–palace dispute if not carefully managed.

The Olubadan’s palace has already clarified that his absence was not due to any disagreement with the state government, dismissing speculation of a rift between the traditional institution and Governor Makinde’s administration.

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Some critics of the ceremony have also described the event as a “failed coronation,” alleging that the exercise may have cost over ₦1.5 billion, though no official financial breakdown has been released to confirm the claim.

At the time of filing this report, neither the Oyo State Government nor the Olubadan-in-Council had issued an official response to Fayose’s latest comments or the circulating allegations.

The development comes against the backdrop of long-standing sensitivities in Ibadan chieftaincy politics, where traditional authority structures have often intersected with state governance and public debate.

Observers note that Fayose’s intervention adds a new political dimension to an already delicate issue, especially given his history of public disagreements with Governor Makinde during his tenure in Ekiti politics.

For now, the situation remains fluid, with stakeholders calling for restraint and clarification to prevent further escalation between the state government and the traditional institution.