The Nigerian military has successfully uncovered the identities of senior commanders belonging to ISIS and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operating around the Lake Chad region in northern Borno State.
This breakthrough follows the forensic exploitation of intelligence recovered during a recent offensive operation conducted by troops of Operation Hadin Kai.
Acting Military Information Officer, Capt. Mohammed Goni, disclosed in a statement issued in Maiduguri that the intelligence was extracted from technical devices and high-value items retrieved during an engagement on the fringes of Lake Chad.
Among the key items was a camcorder reportedly used by the insurgents to record propaganda videos and document their daily operational activities.
Forensic analysis of the devices enabled troops to pinpoint terrorist locations and identify major commanders operating within the Mangari–Metele–Dogon Chukun axis across Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas.
The key figures identified include Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, the Wali (Governor) of ISIS West Africa Province; his deputy, Muhammad Jidda, known as “The One-Handed Man”; and Hamad Abu Hanifa, the Amirul-Fiya of ISWAP.
Noting that Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa remains the most wanted ISWAP leader in the basin, the military announced a monetary reward for credible information leading to his arrest.
Officials assured the public that all tips would be handled with strict confidentiality to protect informant identities in line with standard security procedures.
This latest intelligence breakthrough builds on recent counter-terrorism gains, including a joint Nigeria-United States airstrike on May 16 that eliminated top commander Abu-Bilial al-Minuki in Metele.
The military emphasized that these developments underscore earlier warnings from the Forum of Governors of the Lake Chad Basin regarding the region’s vulnerability as a growing stronghold for ISIS-linked factions.
