Troops intercepted another vehicle transporting suspected stolen armoured cables and arrested the driver for further investigation
By Moses Okorie
Troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have neutralised a suspected female spy linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)/Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) in Borno State and arrested 14 suspected criminals, including alleged members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN), suspected cultists and a deserter soldier, during separate security operations across the country.
Operational reports released on Saturday indicated that the suspected female terrorist was detected through closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance while approaching a military position from the Sambisa Forest axis.
According to the report, troops of the 222 Battalion at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kawuri in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State engaged and neutralised the suspect before she could reach the military’s defensive perimeter.
In a separate operation, troops of Operation MESA arrested a soldier alleged to have deserted from the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army at a checkpoint in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The report stated that military personnel recovered a military uniform and a vehicle from the suspect during the arrest.
It further disclosed that troops intercepted another vehicle transporting suspected stolen armoured cables and arrested the driver for further investigation.
In the South-East, troops of Operation UDO KA apprehended five suspected members of IPOB/ESN at Etuekwe Junction in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
The suspects were reportedly arrested at a secluded location believed to serve as a movement route for members of the outlawed group.
Similarly, troops of the 82 Division Garrison and the 103 Battalion, working in collaboration with other security agencies, arrested eight suspected cultists at Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Preliminary investigations, according to the report, linked the suspects to violent activities in border communities around Eha-Amufu, which straddles Enugu and Ebonyi states.
The suspects have since been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The military also reported that troops conducting Operations Desert Sanity V, FANSAN YAMMA and Savannah Shield recorded no significant security incidents within their respective areas of responsibility during the period under review.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Sub-Delegation in Maiduguri paid a courtesy visit to Sector 3 Headquarters of Operation HADIN KAI/Multi-National 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, reaffirming its commitment to promoting compliance with International Humanitarian Law and supporting conflict-affected communities across the Lake Chad Basin.