Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operative, identified as 25-year-old Muhammad Mustapha, during a night security operation in Borno State.

Mustapha, a resident of the Monguno Local Government Area, was apprehended at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026. The arrest occurred during a joint night patrol and identification exercise conducted under Operation Desert Sanity V.

The tactical team comprised personnel from the 403 Amphibious Brigade/130 Battalion (Motorised), the Nigerian Borderless Logistics Corps (NBLC), and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

During preliminary interrogations, the suspect allegedly confessed to his affiliation with a Boko Haram/ISWAP cell operating out of the Kadia area, located north of Mairari town. Mustapha admitted that his primary assignment from the terrorist network was to monitor and gather intelligence on military troop movements, specifically targeting personnel executing shoulder clearance operations along the critical Baga–Cross Kauwa Main Supply Route (MSR).

In addition to his surveillance activities, security sources revealed that the suspect confessed to working as a logistics supplier and a task collector for the insurgent group, directly facilitating terrorist operations across the northern Borno and Lake Chad regions.

Mustapha is currently being held in the custody of the 403 Amphibious Brigade for detailed interrogation and intelligence exploitation. Military officials described the arrest as a major success in dismantling the clandestine intelligence and logistical networks that sustain insurgent activities in the North-East theater.