Troops arrest 15-year-old suspected ISWAP courier in Borno operation

Security forces under Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a 15-year-old boy suspected of acting as a logistics courier for the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) during an operation in Borno State.

The arrest was disclosed on Sunday in a post on X by security analyst Zagazola Makama, who cited military sources.

According to the report, troops apprehended the teenager in Ngamdu while he was allegedly attempting to procure supplies for insurgents operating along the Ngamdu–Benisheik axis.

The suspect, identified simply as Tijjani, was said to have admitted during preliminary interrogation that he participated in recent attacks on Benisheik and Ngamdu communities.

“My name is Tijjani. I am 15 years old. I was arrested today in Ngamdu. I was among the terrorists that attacked Benisheik and Ngamdu,” he was quoted as saying.

He reportedly told interrogators that the attackers mobilised from Jilli, described as a known insurgent enclave in Gubio Local Government Area, before executing the assaults and retreating to the same location.

“Before the attack we came from Jilli and returned there after the attack,” he allegedly stated.

The teenager further claimed he was later dispatched with N850,000 to purchase logistics supplies for fighters.

“I was sent from Jilli yesterday with N850,000 to collect some logistics from Ngamdu, but I was arrested by troops,” he reportedly added.

READ ALSO: Troops fight off ISWAP attack, kill 38 insurgents in Borno

Military sources indicated that the arrest sheds light on the methods used by insurgents to move funds and materials across operational corridors, including the recruitment and deployment of minors as couriers to evade detection.

The development comes amid intensified military pressure in parts of Borno State, including recent air interdictions around the Jilli axis, believed to function as a logistics and coordination hub for ISWAP elements.

Authorities said investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the network and dismantle supply routes sustaining insurgent activities in the region.