Nigerian Troops Arrest Teenage ISWAP Courier Linked to Jilli Attacks

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a 15-year-old suspected logistics courier for the Islamic State West Africa Province in Ngamdu, Borno State, linking him to recent insurgent attacks in the area.

A military source told the News Agency of Nigeria that troops apprehended the suspect on Sunday while he attempted to procure supplies for insurgents operating along the Ngamdu–Benisheik corridor.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to participating in recent attacks on Benisheik and Ngamdu. He said insurgent fighters mobilised from Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area before carrying out the attack.

“Before the attack, we came from Jilli and returned there afterwards,” the suspect said.

The source added that the suspect disclosed that operatives redeployed him from Jilli on Saturday with ₦850,000 to purchase logistics for other fighters.

“I was sent from Jilli with ₦850,000 to collect supplies from Ngamdu, but I was arrested by troops. I left behind other fighters at the Jilli enclave but cannot confirm developments there now following recent military airstrikes,” he said.

Military sources said the arrest has provided further insight into ISWAP’s operational and logistics network, identifying Jilli as a key staging ground for insurgent activities.

The development followed recent precision airstrikes conducted by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai on terrorist positions within the Jilli axis after sustained Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions targeting insurgent logistics movements.

Field reports indicated that the strikes destroyed motorcycles and a vehicle linked to the insurgents, while troops neutralised several fighters.

Sources said some insurgents initially fled upon sighting military aircraft but later regrouped to evacuate casualties.

Military authorities have continued to describe Jilli as a critical insurgent enclave where fighters coordinate logistics and operations.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force has initiated an investigation into reports of civilian casualties linked to the airstrikes, according to its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame.

The military reiterated its commitment to sustaining pressure on insurgents through coordinated air and ground offensives in the region.