By Joy Odor
In the long war against insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East, bullets are not the only weapons that matter.
Supply chains quiet, hidden and profitable often decide how long violence survives.
On January 23, 2026, troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) moved decisively to choke one of those arteries.
Acting on credible intelligence, soldiers operating under Operation DESERT SANITY V arrested a suspected drug supplier believed to be a critical link between criminal traffickers and Boko Haram terrorist elements in Borno State.
The arrest took place in Askira Uba Local Government Area, a corridor security officials say has been exploited to funnel illicit materials to insurgent enclaves.
The suspect, 65-year-old Hauwa Abulazeez, is alleged to be a major distributor of cannabis sativa to terrorist cells operating across Askira Uba, Rumirgo, Gwahi, Wamdiyo, Uvu and Gaya.
Military sources describe her as more than a street-level dealer rather, a central conduit in a wider logistics chain that sustained terrorist activity across multiple communities within the Theatre of Operations.
During the operation, troops recovered 14 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing an estimated 30 kilograms.
Investigators believe the consignment was en route to insurgent elements, where proceeds from drug distribution would have been recycled into weapons procurement, logistics and recruitment.
Preliminary findings indicate that the drugs were sourced from Sarti Baruwa Local Government Area of Taraba State and transported along established trafficking routes before reaching Borno.
The interception, according to military officials, represents not just a seizure but a disruption of a system designed to keep terror groups operational.
The suspect remains in custody and is undergoing preliminary investigation, while follow-up operations are underway to trace accomplices and dismantle the broader trafficking network behind the supply chain.
Security analysts note that such operations strike at the economic backbone of insurgency.
By cutting off access to illicit drugs and the revenue they generate, troops weaken the capacity of terror groups to sustain violence, exert influence over communities and undermine lawful authority.
Operation HADIN KAI says the message is deliberate and unambiguous: criminal networks whether armed or clandestine will find no safe passage in the North-East.
With sustained intelligence-driven operations and increasing pressure across the Theatre, the military insists it will continue to deny terrorists and their enablers the resources, freedom and operating space they require until stability replaces fear, and peace becomes permanent.
