Soldiers Arrest Woman For Allegedly Supplying Logistics To ISWAP Son In Borno

Troops of the 196 Amphibious Battalion under Operation HADIN KAI have arrested a 50-year-old woman, Mrs. Kellu Alhaji Abba, for allegedly supplying logistics and other critical provisions to her son, a suspected member of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operating in Borno State.

Security sources said the arrest was made at about 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, during a routine check at the C Company 7 Platoon checkpoint in Kukawa Local Government Area.

The suspect, identified as a Kanuri woman from the Lawanti area of Baga border town, was allegedly intercepted while attempting to move supplies into the bush, reportedly intended for her son, Modu Mustapha, a suspected insurgent operating in the Dumba general area.

Items recovered from her included four ready-to-use high-nutrient supplementary food packs, two female hijabs allegedly used for disguise by insurgents, and a wristwatch.

Military authorities confirmed that she has been taken into custody by the 196 Amphibious Battalion and is currently undergoing interrogation as investigators work to uncover the extent of the alleged support network linked to the insurgent.

Security analysts note that while the Lake Chad operational theatre remains relatively calm, it continues to experience pockets of instability, with troops maintaining surveillance and operational pressure on insurgent elements.