Troops Arrest Suspected ISWAP Medicine Supplier Transporting Large Consignment to Borno

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have arrested a 31-year-old man suspected of supplying logistics to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after intercepting him with a large consignment of pharmaceutical drugs allegedly destined for Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.

The suspect, identified as Mohammed Goni, was apprehended during a routine security screening conducted by intelligence personnel of the 18 Battalion at the Molai Main Entrance Gate on the outskirts of Maiduguri at about 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 10.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama disclosed that Goni was travelling in a vehicle bound for Damboa when troops searched the vehicle and reportedly uncovered a significant quantity of assorted pharmaceutical drugs.

According to security sources, the suspect was unable to produce any valid authorisation or documentation permitting the transportation of the drugs to the conflict-affected area, raising concerns among the troops.

“The circumstances surrounding the movement of the drugs raised suspicion, prompting the troops to immediately detain the suspect for further interrogation,” one of the sources said.

Military sources said the suspect has since been handed over to the Military Intelligence Brigade, where investigators are working to establish the origin of the pharmaceutical products, identify their intended recipients and determine whether they are linked to ISWAP’s logistics network operating in the North-East.

Security officials noted that terrorist groups have increasingly depended on clandestine supply chains to obtain medicines and other essential materials needed to treat injured fighters and sustain their activities in remote camps.

The latest arrest forms part of Operation HADIN KAI’s ongoing intelligence-driven campaign to dismantle terrorist logistics networks by intercepting critical supplies before they reach insurgent strongholds.

Although the allegations are still under investigation, military authorities believe disrupting supply routes remains a key strategy in weakening the operational capacity of insurgent groups across the North-East.