Top ISWAP Leaders, 76 Fighters and Families Surrender to Nigerian Troops in Northeast

• Nigeria’s counter-terrorism campaign recorded another major victory as top commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), alongside 76 fighters and their families, surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai following sustained military offensives in the Northeast.

The Nigerian military has recorded another significant breakthrough in its fight against terrorism, with top leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and 76 foot soldiers, including their family members, surrendering to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East.

The Acting Military Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Muhammad Goni, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday night.

According to him, the insurgents laid down their arms and abandoned their hideouts due to relentless military pressure and sustained offensives by Nigerian troops.

“The Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, has continued to record significant operational successes in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists through sustained operations backed by credible, timely and actionable intelligence,” the statement read.

Goni revealed that the latest surrender involved several high-ranking members of the terrorist organisation, who have now been moved to a secure location for profiling and debriefing in line with established military procedures.

“In another major breakthrough, a fresh group of top ISWAP terrorist leaders have abandoned their enclaves and surrendered to troops within the North-East theatre of operations,” he stated.

The military spokesman further disclosed that within the last week alone, a total of 76 terrorist foot soldiers and some of their family members had also surrendered to troops.

He noted that the development underscores the devastating impact of the military’s sustained offensive, which has continued to dismantle terrorist strongholds, weaken command structures and disrupt the logistics networks of insurgent groups across the region.

According to him, persistent operations have significantly degraded the terrorists’ fighting capabilities and eroded confidence among their leaders and fighters.

Goni added that the recent gains demonstrate the effectiveness of Nigeria’s comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy, which combines precision military operations, intelligence-driven engagements and coordinated efforts with security partners.

He assured Nigerians that Operation Hadin Kai remains committed to completely defeating terrorism and restoring lasting peace and security in the North-East.

“The pressure on the remaining terrorist elements will continue unabated until they are completely neutralised or forced to surrender,” the statement added.