Troops arrest suspected ISWAP spy linked to planned Borno base attack

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai detained a suspected member of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after intelligence indicated a planned attack on two military units in Borno State.

The suspect, identified as Muhammad Shuaibu, was taken into custody by soldiers of the 212 Battalion at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Chabbol, following reports of a potential terrorist assault.

According to military sources, the counter‑insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, which focuses on the Lake Chad region, said Shuaibu was seized during a routine perimeter patrol roughly 500 metres from the anti‑vehicle ditch that surrounds the base.

The publication noted that the arrest was based on credible human intelligence that warned of an imminent attack.

Preliminary investigations linked the suspect to a planned assault on the 199 Special Forces Battalion, also known as Mosquito Camp, and the FOB in Chabbol.

Military sources reported that Shuaibu admitted during interrogation that an attack had been planned and that the terrorists intended to proceed with the operation even after his arrest.

The military said that detaining the suspect allowed troops to tighten security around the targeted formations and bolster defensive measures against any attempted attack.

Shuaibu has since been transferred to the 7 Military Intelligence Brigade for further investigation.

The arrest is part of ongoing intelligence‑led operations by Operation Hadin Kai, which aim to disrupt terrorist activities, dismantle insurgent networks, and improve the security of military formations across the North‑East.