Troops foil Boko Haram extortion mission, kill suspect in Yobe

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have foiled an alleged Boko Haram/ISWAP mission to extort residents in parts of Yobe State, killing one suspected terrorist and recovering a cache of ammunition, logistics items, and a vehicle used by the insurgents.

The military said the operation, carried out by troops of Sector 2, prevented the terrorists from collecting illegal levies from communities, thereby disrupting one of their suspected sources of funding.

In a statement issued in Maiduguri, the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, said the operation followed credible intelligence on the movement of two Volkswagen Golf vehicles and motorcycles conveying suspected terrorists to the Paya Kafiya area.

He said troops of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bukarti, working in conjunction with the 27 Task Force Brigade, swiftly launched an aggressive fighting patrol along the Paya Kafiya axis on July 19, where they intercepted and engaged the terrorists.

According to him, “the troops made contact with the terrorists and immediately engaged them with overwhelming and superior firepower. During the ensuing firefight, one of the Volkswagen Golf vehicles was successfully engaged and immobilised, while its driver was neutralised.”

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Goni added that four other suspected terrorists abandoned the vehicle and fled into the surrounding bush with gunshot wounds after they were unable to withstand the troops’ offensive.

He said follow-up exploitation operations conducted on July 20 along the Paya Kafiya-Garin Gada axis led to the recovery of the abandoned Volkswagen Golf vehicle, 25 rounds of belted PKT ammunition, one loaded AK-47 magazine, 15 empty PKT ammunition cases, assorted drugs, including paracetamol and nicotine products, as well as mechanical tools believed to have supported the terrorists’ logistics operations.

The military spokesman said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations in disrupting terrorist logistics and dismantling illicit revenue networks across the North-East.

He reaffirmed the commitment of Operation HADIN KAI to sustaining offensive operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP elements, in collaboration with other security agencies, until peace and stability are fully restored in the region.