Troops arrest two suspected Boko Haram members during clearance operation in Borno

Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, have arrested two suspected Boko Haram members during a clearance operation conducted along the Mandaragirau–Kurtum axis in Borno State.

The operation was carried out at about 10:00 a.m. on July 22, 2026 by troops of the 162 Amphibious Battalion in conjunction with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), local hunters and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN).

The joint security team, mounted on a gun truck and 10 motorcycles, conducted the operation along the Mandaragirau–Kurtum route, extending to the Nguma area as part of ongoing efforts to clear suspected terrorist hideouts and deny insurgents freedom of movement.

During the operation, troops apprehended two suspected Boko Haram members identified as Sidi Shagari, 42, and Abubakar Sadiq, popularly known as “Buba,” 25, both natives of Birni in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.

Items recovered from the suspects included two mobile phones, three cutlasses, one dagger, and the sum of N9,500.

The suspects and the recovered exhibits have been taken to the Abogo Largema Cantonment for further investigation and other necessary actions.

Military sources said the operation forms part of the ongoing Operation Desert Sanity V, a theatre-wide offensive aimed at disrupting terrorist activities, dismantling insurgent networks, and enhancing security across the North-East.