Over N1.5m recovered as six suspected Boko Haram members and relatives surrender to troops in Borno

Six suspected Boko Haram members and their family members have surrendered to troops of Operation HADIN KAI in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State following sustained military pressure on terrorist enclaves in the Mandara Mountains.

Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. 

The first group surrendered at about 6:00 a.m. on July 4, 2026 to troops of D Company, 192 Battalion (Motorised).

The group comprised Hamman Zaha, 65, and his wife, Falmatu Yahaya, 55, who disclosed during preliminary interrogation that they had escaped from the Guduf-Bubayagwa terrorist enclave in the Mandara Mountains.

According to the sources, troops recovered N943,000 from the couple at the point of surrender.

In a related development, another group of four surrendered about 45 minutes later to troops of C Company, 192 Battalion (Motorised) in Gwoza.

The group consisted of Ali Garba, 31; Ismail Yakubu, 27; Aisha Musa, 60; and Amina Garba, 50, who told investigators they had fled the Chikide terrorist enclave, also located in the Mandara Mountains.

The escapees said they decided to abandon the camp due to sustained military offensives, worsening hardship and the lack of basic necessities within the insurgents’ enclave.

Troops recovered two Tecno mobile phones and N593,500 from the second group.

All six individuals had been screened, documented and taken into custody by the 192 Battalion (Motorised) for further investigation.

The two adult male suspects, believed to have had links with the insurgents, as well as the source of the more than N1.5 million recovered from both groups, would be subjected to further interrogation to establish the circumstances surrounding the funds and determine any operational or logistical connections.

The latest surrender underscores the growing pressure being mounted on terrorist hideouts across the Mandara Mountains through sustained ground operations, forcing more insurgents and their relatives to abandon the enclaves.accordance with the law.