Key Points
- Troops arrest 18 suspected Boko Haram logistics suppliers in Borno
- Suspects confess to transporting goods to insurgents
- Military links support networks to unemployment and hardship
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested 18 suspected logistics suppliers linked to Boko Haram in Borno State, the military said Wednesday.
The suspects were intercepted while traveling toward Gubio, with plans to continue to the Gudumbali axis, an area known for insurgent activity.
The arrests were detailed in a daily operational report released to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Suspects confess to supplying goods
According to the military, preliminary investigations show that all 18 suspects admitted to supplying goods to the terrorist group.
The report said the suspects regularly purchased and transported items to insurgents operating in remote parts of the state.
Military authorities said the operation disrupted a supply chain that supports terrorist activities in the region.
Army links arrests to economic hardship
The suspects told investigators they were driven by lack of employment, a factor the military said reflects broader economic challenges in Maiduguri and surrounding areas.
The army said the development supports recent remarks by the Chief of Defence Staff on the connection between economic hardship and the persistence of insurgency logistics networks.
The military said civilian collaborators play a key role in sustaining insurgent operations, especially in hard-to-reach communities.
It called for a broader strategy that combines security operations with economic empowerment and job creation to address underlying causes of the insurgency.
