Military uncovers identities of senior ISIS, ISWAP commanders operating around Lake Chad

Military uncovers identities of senior ISIS, ISWAP commanders operating around Lake Chad

The

 has identified several senior ISIS and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commanders operating around the Lake Chad Basin in northern Borno State following the forensic exploitation of intelligence materials recovered during a recent offensive operation.

The development was disclosed by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Mohammed Goni, in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

Goni said troops recovered several technical devices and other high-value intelligence materials during an operation targeting ISWAP fighters along the fringes of Lake Chad in Borno State.

Among the items recovered was a camcorder allegedly used by ISWAP members to record propaganda materials and document their operational activities.

According to the military, forensic analysis of the recovered devices produced actionable intelligence that enabled security forces to identify terrorist locations and uncover the identities of several senior ISWAP commanders operating within the Mangari–Metele–Dogon Chukun axis along the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin.

The identified areas are located in Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas of Borno State, a region that has remained an important operational theatre for insurgent groups because of its difficult terrain, waterways and proximity to the borders of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

The military identified Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa as the Wali, or governor, of ISIS West Africa Province. His deputy, Amirul Jaish Muhammad Jidda, popularly known as “The One-Handed Man”, was also identified, alongside Hamad Abu Hanifa, described by the military as the Amirul-Fiya of ISWAP.

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The military said Baa Shuwa remains its most wanted ISWAP leader operating within the Lake Chad Basin and announced a financial reward for anyone who provides credible and actionable information that directly leads to his arrest.

Authorities assured potential informants that information supplied would be treated with the highest level of confidentiality and that their identities would be protected in line with established security procedures.

The latest intelligence breakthrough comes amid sustained military operations aimed at disrupting ISIS and ISWAP networks in the North-East and preventing the groups from rebuilding their command structures, logistics networks and operational bases.

The development also follows a major Nigeria-US counter-terrorism operation in May that targeted senior ISIS leadership around the Lake Chad region. On May 16, a joint operation killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom US authorities described as a senior ISIS figure responsible for global operations, along with several of his associates.

The operation demonstrated the increasing role of intelligence-sharing and international cooperation in efforts to track senior terrorist commanders operating in the Lake Chad Basin.

The military has continued to rely on intelligence-led operations, air surveillance and ground offensives to disrupt insurgent networks across Borno State. The exploitation of recovered electronic devices is also expected to provide security agencies with further information about the movements, locations and networks of terrorist commanders.

The identification of Baa Shuwa and other senior commanders could therefore provide the Nigerian military with additional intelligence for ongoing operations aimed at degrading ISWAP’s leadership structure and disrupting its activities in the Lake Chad region.

The Lake Chad Basin, which encompasses parts of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, has faced prolonged insecurity from Boko Haram and ISIS-affiliated groups. The persistence of the insurgency has prompted regional governments and international partners to intensify cooperation on intelligence sharing, border security and counter-terrorism operations.

The military’s latest disclosure underscores the continuing importance of intelligence gathering in the fight against terrorism, particularly in remote areas where insurgent groups have historically exploited difficult terrain and cross-border movements to evade security forces.

While announcing the reward for information on Baa Shuwa, the military urged members of the public to provide credible information through appropriate security channels and avoid confronting suspected terrorists themselves.

Military uncovers identities of senior ISIS, ISWAP commanders operating around Lake Chad