By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Nigerian troops have struck deep into the shadow network feeding insurgency in the North-East, arresting a suspected drone supplier and multiple collaborators while killing a Boko Haram field commander in a series of coordinated operations across Adamawa and Borno states.
The latest offensives by Operation Hadin Kai mark a strategic shift from chasing fighters to dismantling the supply chain that keeps the terror group alive.
The operation began in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State where troops of Sector 4, working with hunters and vigilantes, stormed the Visik General Area.
There, soldiers arrested Ismail Muhammed, 28, identified as a suspected Boko Haram logistics supplier.
Recovered from him were:
an AK-47 magazine
7.62mm ammunition rounds
military accoutrements
assorted food supplies
Military sources said the items were meant for insurgent camps operating along the border corridors.
The suspect is currently undergoing interrogation.
Hours later, troops launched an ambush along the Visik River axis in Madagali, where they encountered a Boko Haram fighting unit.
During the firefight, forces neutralised insurgent commander Abdullahi Mafa.
An AK-47 rifle and loaded magazine were recovered at the scene.
Security officials described the killing as a major disruption to the group’s operational cell in the Mandara mountain corridor.
Acting on intelligence obtained after the ambush, troops moved to Madagali Motor Park where they arrested 64-year-old Dauda Usman Gubula.
According to military findings, he allegedly procured commercial drones later weaponised by insurgents and used in attacks against troops.
Recovered from him:
two aerial drones
drone accessories
20 solar power banks
Officials say the discovery confirms growing attempts by terrorists to modernise tactics using improvised aerial surveillance and strike capability.
Meanwhile in Ngamdu, Borno State, troops under Sector 2 alongside the Civilian Joint Task Force repelled insurgent infiltration and killed a suspected informant attempting to breach defensive positions.
Logistics materials were also recovered during the encounter.
The military high command praised the troops, noting the operations are part of a broader campaign to suffocate Boko Haram’s supply routes rather than only engage fighters on the battlefield.
Commanders emphasised that targeting couriers, informants and equipment suppliers weakens insurgents faster than direct combat alone.
The message from the battlefield is clear: The war is no longer only against gunmen in the bush, it is now against the network that feeds them.
And that network is being hunted.
