Troops kill suspected female terrorist spy, arrest 14 nationwide

Nigerian troops have intensified nationwide security operations, neutralising a suspected female terrorist spy in Borno State and arresting 14 suspected criminals, including alleged IPOB/ESN members, cultists and a deserter soldier, the military has disclosed.

According to operational reports released on Saturday, the suspected female operative, believed to be linked to ISWAP/Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), was detected through closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance as she approached a military position from the Sambisa Forest axis.

The report said troops of the 222 Battalion, deployed at the Forward Operating Base, Kawuri, in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, engaged and neutralised the suspect before she could reach the base’s defensive perimeter.

In a separate operation within the Federal Capital Territory, troops of Operation MESA arrested a soldier who allegedly deserted from the 13 Brigade during a stop-and-search operation at a checkpoint in the Bwari Area Council.

Military authorities said the suspect was found in possession of a military uniform and a vehicle, both of which were recovered during the arrest.

The troops also intercepted another vehicle transporting suspected stolen armoured cables and arrested its driver for further investigation.

In the South-East, troops of Operation UDO KA arrested five suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), at Etuekwe Junction in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

According to the report, the suspects were apprehended at a secluded location believed to serve as a movement corridor for the group.

Meanwhile, troops of the 82 Division Garrison and the 103 Battalion, working alongside other security agencies, arrested eight suspected cultists at Eha-Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Preliminary investigations, the military said, linked the suspects to terrorist-related activities around border communities between 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 operational areas during the review period.

Separately, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Sub-Delegation in Maiduguri visited Sector 3 of Operation HADIN KAI/Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) at the Kinnasara Cantonment in Monguno, Borno State.

During the visit, the ICRC delegation briefed the sector commander on the organisation’s humanitarian mandate, including its commitment to promoting international humanitarian law and supporting communities affected by the insurgency across the Lake Chad Basin.