By ZAKAA LAZARUS
Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has achieved a major intelligence breakthrough in the fight against terrorism, identifying several senior ISWAP/ISIS leaders operating around the Lake Chad Basin following successful offensive operations in Northern Borno State.
In a statement issued by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, troops recovered critical technical devices during clearance operations in the Mangari–Metele–Dogon Chukun axis of Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas.
Among the items recovered was a camcorder used by ISWAP terrorists to record propaganda videos and document operational activities, alongside other high-value intelligence materials.
Captain Goni said forensic exploitation of the devices provided direct links to terrorist hideouts and the command structure of ISWAP in the Lake Chad fringes.
“This development has enabled troops to identify key locations associated with terrorist activities as well as the identities of several senior ISWAP leaders currently coordinating operations within the Lake Chad Basin,” he stated.
According to the military, the identified senior operatives include:
Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa _Wali, (Governor of ISIS West Africa Province/ISWAP). Described as the overall commander coordinating ISWAP activities across the Lake Chad region.
Muhammad Jidda– Deputy _Wali_ / _Amirul Jaish_, also known as “The One-Handed Man”_. He is said to coordinate battlefield operations and logistics.
Hamad Abu Hanifa– _Amirul-Fiya_, in charge of ISWAP’s fighting forces in the axis.
Other key foot soldiers and logistics facilitators operating under them were also identified but not named for operational reasons.
In an unprecedented move, OPHK declared Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa the most wanted terrorist leader in the Lake Chad Basin.
“Operation HADIN KAI wishes to specifically draw the attention of the public to Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, the ISWAP Wali, who remains the most wanted terrorist leader operating within the Lake Chad Basin,” the statement said.
“The military will offer a substantial financial reward to any individual whose credible and actionable information directly leads to his arrest. All information received will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, and the identity of informants will be fully protected in accordance with established security procedures.”
Security analysts say the identification of the ISWAP leadership cadre marks a shift from random clearance operations to targeted leadership decapitation.
The Mangari–Metele–Dogon Chukun axis has long served as a transit and training corridor for ISWAP fighters moving between Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Neutralizing the Wali and his deputies is expected to disrupt command, control, and propaganda activities of the group.
The recovery of the camcorder also signals that ISWAP is intensifying its media wing to recruit and radicalize, making the disruption of that cell critical.
Captain Goni urged citizens to support the military by providing credible and timely information on the movement of the suspects.
Relevant information can be reported through established security channels or directly via OPHK Hotline: 0708 498 8859.
“Members of the public are strongly advised not to confront or attempt to apprehend the suspected terrorists under any circumstances. Report to security agencies immediately,” he warned.
The military assured that informants’ identities will be fully protected.
This breakthrough comes amid sustained air and ground operations by OPHK in the Lake Chad region, which have degraded ISWAP’s capacity in recent months. The targeting of leadership is part of the military’s new phase focused on dismantling the group’s command structure rather than just foot soldiers.
