ISWAP fighter’s wife and infant surrender to troops in Borno

A woman, identified as the wife of an Islamic State West Africa Province fighter, surrendered to Operation Hadin Kai troops in Kukawa Local Government Area, Borno State, bringing her two‑month‑old infant with her.

The event was reported in a post on X by Zagazola Makama, a counter‑insurgency and security expert focusing on the Lake Chad region.

Zagazola stated that the woman, named Falmata Bakwai, surrendered to the 19 Brigade at Cross Kauwa around 10:15 a.m. on June 26.

According to him, Falmata claimed she fled the ISWAP enclave at Dogon Chuku while her husband and other fighters were absent from the camp.

During a preliminary debriefing, she reportedly told troops that worsening living conditions in the enclave—such as severe shortages of food and other basic necessities—had forced her to leave.

The expert added that she blamed the deteriorating humanitarian situation on ongoing military strangulation operations and aerial bombardments aimed at terrorist hideouts.

“She and her infant have since been quarantined and provided with medical assistance in line with established operational procedures.”

“The debriefing is ongoing, while arrangements are being made to transfer her to the Headquarters of Sector 3, Operation Hadin Kai/Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJTF, for further investigation and profiling.”

“The surrender reflects the sustained pressure being mounted on terrorist enclaves through coordinated ground and air operations across the North‑East theatre,” he said.