Dare Babalola
Troops under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have arrested 18 individuals suspected of supplying logistics to terrorists in Borno State.
According to a daily operational report released to newsmen on Wednesday, the suspects were intercepted while travelling towards Gubio, with plans to continue to the Gudumbali axis—an area identified as a stronghold of Boko Haram terrorists.
The military disclosed that the suspects were caught en route to deliver supplies to the insurgents. Preliminary investigations indicated that all 18 individuals admitted to their involvement in procuring and transporting goods for the terrorist group.
“They confessed to consistently purchasing and conveying items to the terrorists,” the report stated, adding that the suspects cited unemployment as the reason for their actions—highlighting underlying socio-economic challenges in Maiduguri and surrounding communities.
The report noted that the arrests reinforce recent remarks by the Chief of Defence Staff on the connection between economic hardship and the persistence of insurgency logistics networks.
It further emphasized the role of civilian collaborators in sustaining terrorist activities, particularly in remote locations such as Gubio and Gudumbali.
The army, therefore, called for a broader strategy that goes beyond military action, urging the integration of economic empowerment and job creation initiatives to tackle the root causes of insurgency in the region.
