Troops Smash Terror Supply Chain: 18 Logistics Suppliers Arrested En Route to Boko Haram Enclave in Borno

 

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have intercepted and arrested 18 suspected terrorist logistics suppliers in Borno State, dealing a fresh blow to Boko Haram’s sustainment network.

According to a daily operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, the suspects were apprehended while travelling towards Gubio, from where they intended to proceed to the Gudumbali axis — a known Boko Haram terrorists (BHTs) enclave.

Military sources said the suspects were intercepted while on their way to deliver goods and supplies to the insurgents. Preliminary investigations revealed that all 18 confessed to routinely purchasing and conveying items to the terrorist group.

The suspects reportedly justified their actions by citing lack of employment, a situation the military described as pointing to deeper socio-economic challenges in Maiduguri and its environs.

The arrest validates recent remarks by the Chief of Defence Staff on the connection between economic hardship and the continued flow of logistics to insurgency networks in the North-East.

“The arrest highlights the critical role of civilian collaborators in sustaining terrorist operations, particularly in remote areas such as Gubio and Gudumbali,” the report stated.

The Nigerian Army called for a comprehensive strategy that combines robust military operations with economic empowerment and job creation programmes to tackle the root causes of the insurgency.

The suspects are currently in military custody for further investigation.

This latest success underscores the military’s sustained efforts to strangulate terrorist logistics corridors and weaken Boko Haram’s operational capacity in Borno State.