Troops of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai, have arrested suspected terrorist collaborators and recovered drones and other logistics during coordinated operations across Adamawa and Borno states.

In a statement issued in Maiduguri, the Media Information Officer of the Theatre Command, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said troops of Sector 4 under the 28 Task Force Brigade, working with local vigilantes and hunters, on Thursday apprehended a 28-year-old suspect, Ismail Muhammed.

The troops described the suspect as a logistics supplier to insurgents.

The arrest took place in the Visik General area of the Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

“Items recovered from the suspect included one AK-47 magazine, rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, military accoutrements, and assorted foodstuffs. The suspect is currently in custody, undergoing further investigation,” the statement said.

Uba said that in a separate operation in Madagali Local Government Area, troops ambushed the Visik River line, where a terrorist commander identified as Abdullahi Mafa was neutralised.

An AK-47 rifle and a loaded magazine were recovered during the operation.

He disclosed that troops acting on intelligence arrested a 64-year-old suspect, Dauda Gubula, alleged to be a terrorist collaborator and drone supplier, at Madagali Motor Park.

According to the statement, items recovered from him included two aerial drones, accessories, and 20 solar power banks.

The military said the drones were being supplied to insurgents for weaponisation and operational use.

Meanwhile, in Sector 2, troops of Operation Hadin Kai, in collaboration with local vigilantes and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), repelled insurgent activity in Ngamdu, Borno State, neutralising a suspected informant attempting to breach defensive positions. Logistics items were also recovered.

Military authorities said the operations form part of ongoing efforts to dismantle insurgent supply networks, disrupt logistics chains, and enhance security across the North-East.

The Department of State Services (DSS) will on Wednesday, February 25, arraign Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state, over alleged cybercrime and breach of national security.

He would be arraigned before Joyce Abdulmalik, judge of a federal high court in Abuja.

Details later…

The Kebbi State Police Command says 33 people were killed in an attack on Bui District in Arewa Local Government Area following a deadly armed cattle-rustling incident.

Spokesman of the Kebbi Police Command, Bashir Usman, said this in a statement.

“In response, the Command, in collaboration with the military and other security agencies, has deployed additional personnel and operational assets to the affected area. Sustained area domination patrols are currently underway to restore and maintain stability,” Usman’s statement read.

Police authorities expressed deep regret over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the bereaved families and the wider Arewa community.

The statement added that preliminary investigations indicate that suspected Lakurawa militants entered Bui District to rustle cattle.

The attackers are believed to have crossed into the area from Gudu Local Government Area in neighbouring Sokoto State.

Residents from Mamunu, Awasaka, Tungan Tsoho, Makangara, Kanzo, Gorun Naidal, and Dan Mai Ago reportedly mobilised in response to the intrusion, leading to a fatal confrontation with the armed group.

The Police Command emphasised that incidents involving heavily armed criminal elements require coordinated security intervention.

Authorities urged residents to report suspicious movements through established security channels rather than engage directly, warning that such confrontations pose serious risks.

Local and security sources said the gunmen stormed villages in the remote border district, opening fire on residents in what survivors described as highly organised and indiscriminate assaults.

The attacks triggered panic, forcing many residents to flee their homes as the assailants stormed homes and shot at civilians.

Security operatives have since been deployed to the area to secure the communities, assist survivors, and block possible escape routes for the attackers. Tracking operations are also ongoing.