No fewer than 76 commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province have surrendered to the Nigerian military following sustained counterterrorism operations across the North-East.
The development was announced on Monday by the spokesman for Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, who said the surrender resulted from intensified air and ground assaults on terrorist strongholds in the region.
According to Goni, relentless military operations, supported by intelligence-driven missions, forced the insurgents to abandon their hideouts and voluntarily lay down their arms.
“Several senior ISWAP figures are among those who surrendered and are currently in a secure location undergoing profiling, debriefing and other procedures in line with established operational protocols,” the statement said.
The military described the latest wave of defections as a significant indication that ongoing operations are successfully weakening terrorist networks, disrupting their command and logistics systems, and limiting their ability to operate freely.
It further stated that the surrender of the insurgents, including fighters who turned themselves in alongside their families, demonstrates the continued erosion of the group’s operational capability and fighting morale.
