Joint Operation in Yobe Market Nabs Two Alleged Terrorist Informants

Personnel from Operation HADIN KAI, working alongside community hunters, have apprehended two individuals suspected of being terrorist informants and cattle rustlers. The arrests occurred during a combined operation at the Buni Yadi Friday Market, situated within Yobe State's Gujba Local Government Area.

Military sources, who spoke to security analyst Zagazola Makama, confirmed that the operation was executed around 2:00 p.m. on July 24, 2026. Troops from the 27 Task Force Brigade, supported by members of a hunters' group and acting on credible intelligence, carried out the raid.

The suspects have been identified as Muhammadu Sani, a 32-year-old from Mainahari in Borno State’s Biu Local Government Area, and Buba Umaru, aged 40, who hails from Garin Jauro in Fune Local Government Area of Yobe State.

According to the sources, the operation turned confrontational when one of the suspects resisted arrest by attacking a member of the hunters’ group with a cutlass. The hunter sustained serious head injuries but received immediate medical attention, while the troops successfully subdued and apprehended both suspects.

Preliminary investigations have revealed a significant confession from Muhammadu Sani, who admitted to serving as a logistics supplier and informant for Boko Haram terrorists for nearly seven years. He also confessed to guiding the insurgents to the homes of two local residents, where they successfully rustled cattle during separate attacks.

Military officials stated that this confession is expected to be instrumental in ongoing intelligence efforts aimed at dismantling the intricate terrorist support networks operating within various communities across Nigeria's North-East region. The two suspects are currently held in the custody of the 27 Task Force Brigade, where they are undergoing further interrogation to ascertain the full extent of their involvement in terrorist logistics, intelligence gathering, and cattle rustling activities.

Security officials emphasized that these arrests highlight the crucial role played by local intelligence and the effective collaboration between military forces and community-based security groups in identifying individuals who provide vital logistical support and operational information to terrorist elements. They further affirmed that Operation HADIN KAI troops will continue to relentlessly target terrorist collaborators, informants, and logistics networks as part of the sustained efforts to deny insurgents the local support structures essential for their operations throughout the North-East.