Nigerian troops have intercepted the sum of ₦2.7 million alongside a consignment of mobile phones suspected to have been destined for a terrorist kingpin operating in Katsina State.

The interdiction took place in Faskari Local Government Area, a flashpoint that has repeatedly featured in military campaigns against armed groups terrorising communities across the state.

According to security blogger, Zagazola Makama, who first reported the development, the cash and phones were being conveyed to the terrorist leader when troops moved in and seized the items before they could reach their intended destination.

Photographs shared alongside the report showed three suspects in military custody, seated under guard at the location where they were picked up along the Funtua Gusau Road axis of Faskari.

The interception adds to a string of recent operations by troops in Katsina State, where security forces have in recent weeks intensified efforts to choke off the flow of ransom payments, weapons and communication devices to armed groups operating from forest enclaves in Faskari and neighbouring local government areas. Faskari has long been identified by security officials as a haven for bandit factions, with Mununu Forest in the area repeatedly named in previous operations as a base for groups laying siege to communities across Katsina and bordering states.

Details of the identities of the three suspects pictured, as well as the specific terrorist kingpin the funds and phones were allegedly meant for, have not yet been officially disclosed. The Defence Headquarters and the Nigerian Army, both tagged in the report, are yet to issue a formal statement on the development at the time of filing.

The development comes as the Nigerian military continues a broader push across the North West to disrupt the logistics networks that sustain kidnapping for ransom in the region, with troops recording similar cash and equipment interceptions in Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna States in recent months.

Photo Credit: Zazagola.org