Troops have arrested a suspected foreign Islamic State (ISIS) operative believed to be an Arab of Moroccan origin, in Cross Kauwa, Kukawa LGA of Borno state.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, security sources disclosed
that the suspect was arrested after troops repelled a coordinated terrorist assault on Cross Kauwa, forcing the insurgents to abandon equipment and flee.

Makama said troops immediately launched exploitation operations, extending search and pursuit missions along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes.

“During the exploitation exercise conducted on Monday, troops recovered additional operational materials believed to have been abandoned during the insurgents’ hasty withdrawal,” Makama said.

“Among the items recovered were high-frequency hand-held radios (HHR), communication equipment considered crucial to the command and control structure of the terrorist group.

“According to the sources, intelligence gathered from the recovered materials enabled troops to expand the pursuit deep into the Lake Chad Islands (LCI) axis, extending operations towards Abadam Local Government Area.

“The operation culminated in the arrest of a fleeing foreign suspect believed to be an Arab of Moroccan origin with suspected links to the Islamic State (ISIS).

“Military sources disclosed that the suspect had earlier come under intelligence scrutiny following forensic exploitation conducted jointly with international partners on video footage extracted from a camcorder recovered after the Cross Kauwa encounter.

“The camcorder, according to the sources, belonged to a terrorist cameraman who was killed during the failed assault on Cross Kauwa.”

Zagazola Makama said extremist groups often deploy media operatives alongside assault teams to document attacks for propaganda, recruitment and operational assessment. 

The publication noted that footage recovered from the camcorder helped investigators identify the foreign suspect.

The suspect was airlifted by the Nigerian Air Force to a secure military facility, where he is undergoing interrogation and intelligence exploitation.

Makama reported that military authorities are expected to investigate his role within the terrorist organisation, how he entered Nigeria, his links to ISIS’ transnational network, and any involvement in training, operational planning or media production for ISWAP.

The arrest was reported as a significant intelligence breakthrough that could provide fresh insights into the structure, financing and international links of terrorist groups operating in the Lake Chad Basin.

Makama said the development also reinforces longstanding assessments by security agencies that foreign nationals continue to support extremist groups in the region, particularly in training, communications, media production, explosives handling and strategic coordination.

“While ISWAP remains largely composed of local fighters recruited from communities within the Lake Chad Basin, intelligence gathered over the years has indicated the presence of foreign facilitators from Iraq, Somalia and Morrocco serving as technical specialists linked to the wider Islamic State network,” Makama said.

“Military sources stressed that the interrogation of the suspect is still ongoing and that operational security considerations prevent the release of additional details at this stage.

“Officials noted that information obtained during the intelligence exploitation process could support ongoing counter-terrorism operations, identify additional terrorist cells and expose cross-border movement routes used by insurgent elements.”

The Federal Government has announced that the final evacuation flight from South Africa will land in Lagos on Wednesday.

In a statement on Tuesday, the spokesperson of the ministry of foreign affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the flight, operated by Air Peace, is expected to depart Johannesburg with 315 returnees at 1:30am.

Ebienfa pegged the estimated time of arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport at 6.30am.

It would be the fifth evacuation flight by the government, and the seventh batch of Nigerians to be repatriated from South Africa following the xenophobic violence.

Over 1,000 Nigerians were said to have indicated interest to return.

The fourth evacuation flight arrived on July 9 with 282 returnees, bringing the total number of Nigerians repatriated from South Africa since the evacuation flights began on June 11 to 1,141.

Theminister of foreign affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, had asked Nigerians in South Africa to take advantage of the ongoing exercise to return home.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu’s call came as two more Nigerians were reported dead in South Africa, bringing the official death toll of Nigerian citizens in the country, since the latest xenophobic violence to four.

Some repatriated Nigerians have alleged that the figures are higher.

The minister assured that the federal government would ensure that no citizen who expressed interest to return home would be left behind.

The Special adviser to the president on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga,
has tackled Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, over his call for a United Nations (UN)-backed investigation into the abduction of pupils and teachers.

The governor had, on Monday, urged the UN and other international accountability bodies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Ogbomoso abduction and rescue of the victims, saying Nigerians deserve a full account of what transpired.

He said: “The circumstances surrounding this incident are sufficiently grave and unusual to warrant independent scrutiny beyond our domestic institution,” the governor said.

Recall that armed men attacked three schools in the Yawota and Ahoro Esienle communities of Oriire LGA, abducting 39 pupils and six teachers on May 15.

The victims were rescued after spending 56 days in captivity following a month-long military operation involving multiple security agencies.

Onanuga, while speaking to The Punch, said Makinde’s call was unnecessary because the military and other security agencies had explained the circumstances surrounding the operation.

“The governor has just expressed his opinion that the UN should probe this incident. Our doors are open. Let the UN come if he thinks there is more to it than what our military has explained,” Onanuga said.

He questioned the basis for the governor’s demand, saying there was no reason for security agencies to deliberately allow children to remain in captivity.

“Look at those kids. Some of them are just about four or six years old. Will anyone want to deliberately subject them to the trauma they went through for 56 days?” he said.

Onanuga noted that the operation came at a cost, with members of the military and the Oyo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, losing their lives during the mission.

He accused Makinde, who declared his presidential bid on the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) platform, of reducing the saga to politics.

“It is just unfortunate that Mr Makinde, maybe because of politics, because he is a presidential candidate now, doesn’t have any trust in our own institutions and is now calling on an external body to come and investigate,” he said.

The presidential aide described the governor’s demand as “unwarranted” and “absolutely unnecessary”.

“The man is just playing politics, and it is the politics of the bizarre. He wants to weaponise anything available, including dredging up a strange conspiracy theory,” he added.