Army arrests kidnap kingpin, ISWAP courier in latest raids

…Recovers cache of arms, ammunition

By Evelyn Usman

The Nigerian Army has disclosed the apprehension of  11 suspects, among them a notorious kidnap kingpin and  a aforesaid confessed subordinate of the Islamic State West African Province, ISWAP violent courier, successful a bid of coordinated operations crossed the country.

The multi-theatre offensives, conducted betwixt October 7 and 8, 2025, accoeding to the Army, besides resulted successful the betterment of implicit 1,457 rounds of ammunition, the surrender of insurgents, and the dismantling of amerciable lipid refining sites successful the South-South and South-East regions.

According to subject authorities, troops besides recovered 2 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) bombs, 150 rounds of 7.62x54mm ammunition, and implicit 6,650 litres of Premium Motor Spirit ,PMS) alongside respective vehicles, boats, and refining instrumentality utilized successful illicit petroleum activities.

 Describing the operations arsenic portion of a sustained effort to “break the backbone of terror, banditry, and transgression endeavor crossed the country, the Army successful a connection issued by Military authorities, said the  astir notable breakthrough came successful Akwa Ibom State, wherever troops of 2 Brigade, moving successful conjunction with operatives of the Department of State Services DSS from the Port Harcourt Command, arrested Emmanuel Akpan,” a high-value kidnap kingpin who had agelong terrorised travellers on the Oron–Ibaka corridor”

He  was reportedly captured during a pre-dawn raid connected his hideout successful Eket Local Government Area, pursuing weeks of surveillance and quality gathering. Report said Akpan’s apprehension marked  a large disruption to organised kidnapping syndicates successful the South-South, adding that helium was  successful the custody of the DSS .

Equally important was the apprehension of an ISWAP violent courier successful Borno State, by troops of the 196 Amphibious Battalion, deployed successful Baga, Kukawa Local Government Area.

The fishy was said to person been apprehended portion attempting to infiltrate the town, disguising himself arsenic a repentant insurgent.

Preliminary investigations arsenic gathered, revealed that the courier had been operating arsenic a captious nexus betwixt ISWAP enclaves successful Chad and Niger Republic, facilitating quality travel and logistical supplies to violent cells successful the Lake Chad Basin.

According to Military intelligence, his capture  provided invaluable leads into cross-border violent coordination and recruitment routes, marking what a elder serviceman described arsenic “a breakthrough successful intelligence-led counterterrorism operations.”

Also successful Kaduna State, troops of the 4 Demonstration Battalion reportedly intercepted 2 suspects transporting 1,307 rounds of 7.62mm peculiar ammunition, 4 mobile phones, and ₦27,000 currency on the Lere–Saminaka–Kaduna road.

Investigations arsenic gathered,indicated that the ammunition was being ferried from Barakin Ladi, Plateau State, to Zamfara State, a portion notorious for bandit activities.

Meanwhile, sustained subject unit according to the Army, “continues to unit insurgent defections. Three ISWAP/JAS fighters, including a woman, surrendered to troops of 68 Battalion successful Bosso, Niger State, citing hunger, hardship, and intensified bombardments successful their enclaves astir the Tumbun Marcobina axis.

“In Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, troops of 222 Battalion engaged terrorists successful a firefight astatine Bazamri Village, recovering 2 RPG bombs and 150 rounds of 7.62x54mm ammunition aft forcing the insurgents to flee”, the connection read.

Elsewhere, troops sustained operations against amerciable lipid bunkering successful the Niger Delta and South-East, dismantling aggregate refining sites and recovering implicit 6,650 litres of PMS and assorted refining instrumentality successful Rivers, Delta, Imo, Ebonyi, and Plateau States.

Reaffirming  its committedness to safeguarding law-abiding citizens and securing communities nationwide, the Army said ““These successes underscore the Nigerian Army’s unwavering resoluteness to support the nation’s territorial integrity and disrupt transgression networks wherever they exist,”

The station Army arrests kidnap kingpin, ISWAP courier successful latest raids appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.