Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have arrested a 31-year-old man suspected of supplying logistics to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after intercepting him with a large consignment of pharmaceutical drugs allegedly bound for Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the suspect, identified as Mohammed Goni, was arrested at about 11:00 a.m. on July 10 during a routine security screening conducted by intelligence personnel of the 18 Battalion at the Molai Main Entrance Gate on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
Goni was reportedly travelling in a vehicle heading to Damboa when troops searched the vehicle and discovered a large quantity of assorted pharmaceutical drugs.
Security sources said the suspect could not provide valid clearance or documentation authorising the movement of the drugs into the conflict-prone area.
“The circumstances surrounding the movement of the drugs raised suspicion, prompting the troops to immediately detain the suspect for further interrogation,” one of the sources said.
Military authorities have since handed the suspect over to the Military Intelligence Brigade for further investigation to establish the source of the drugs, their intended destination and any possible links to ISWAP’s logistics network in the North-East.
Security sources noted that terrorist groups increasingly depend on covert supply chains to obtain pharmaceutical products and other essential materials used to treat wounded fighters and sustain operations in remote camps.
The arrest is part of ongoing intelligence-led operations by Operation HADIN KAI aimed at disrupting terrorist logistics networks by intercepting critical supplies before they reach insurgent hideouts.
