Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) killed 25 Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters who launched a night-time assault on Kukawa town in Borno State, the Defence Headquarters announced at the weekend. The attack began on the night of October 6 and was repelled by soldiers backed by the Nigerian Air Force in a gun battle that stretched into the morning of October 7, according to Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, Director of Defence Media Operations.
Weapons Recovered and Operations Across the North-East
Weapons recovered from the scene included six AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, 797 rounds of PKT ammunition, three rocket-propelled grenade bombs, and an anti-tank bomb. The announcement covered military activities across several states between October 2 and 8, as reported by The Nation.
In Yobe State, troops foiled a separate terrorist attack on Abakurari village in Geidam Local Government Area on October 5, killing one militant and seizing an AK-47 rifle. The following day, soldiers recovered two gunboat guns mounted on a riverbank at Kwatan Kuwait in Kukawa Local Government Area and an additional AK-47 at Mairari in Guzamala Local Government Area.
Rescue Operations and Surrenders
On the rescue side, troops freed two women near the Kuranabasa axis of Gwoza Local Government Area in Borno State on October 4. Three people who had escaped from terrorist captivity in Cameroon were handed over to the Cameroonian Rapid Intervention Battalion at Kirawa the next day. On October 8, soldiers found three more abductees in the Armuda area of Gwoza who had reportedly been held for seven years, and three others were freed in the nearby Gava area.
Several militants and their associates also gave themselves up. A terrorist, two women, and their children surrendered at Ngurusoye village in Bama Local Government Area on October 5, while another insurgent turned himself in at Monguno after escaping a camp near Lake Chad. Twelve suspected collaborators caught allegedly smuggling fish from Niger Republic were arrested in Yobe State on October 3, and a high-profile terrorist was picked up in Magumeri, Borno State, on October 5.
Kebbi and Ondo Operations
In Kebbi State, troops of Operation Fansan Yamma killed 10 Lakurawa terrorists on October 7 while repelling an attack in Maiyama Local Government Area. Onoja said the assailants arrived on more than 100 motorcycles armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades before being forced to retreat, leaving behind 17 motorcycles, a machine gun, an AK-47, assorted ammunition, and a communication device.
The military also confirmed that troops killed a senior ISWAP commander, Abdussamad Ohida, in Owo forest, Ondo State, on October 2. Ohida served as deputy to the leader of ISWAP's Central Nigeria faction. He had taken charge of the group after the Department of State Services arrested its leader in 2023.
Festive Season Security Measures
The military said investigations showed he had been planning large-scale attacks on civilians in southern states during the coming festive season. Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Olufemi Oluyede commended troops for their conduct and called on security agencies, traditional rulers, and community leaders to report anyone supporting terrorist groups ahead of the festive season.
