A suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighter, trained as a gunboat operator and Dushka heavy machine gunner, has surrendered to troops of the 5 Brigade in Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State.

Counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama posted this on his verified X page yesterday afternoon.

According to him, the terrorist surrendered to troops at about 9 am on July 1, adding that preliminary investigations revealed he had escaped from a terrorist camp at Barra Village in the Lake Chad region, near Dogon Chukwu, an enclave reportedly under the command of insurgent leader Abu Ubeida.

During initial debriefing, the suspect said he had been trained as a gunboat driver and had also operated a Dushka heavy machine gun during terrorist operations in the Lake Chad area.

“The sources said the suspect attributed his decision to flee the camp to sustained military air bombardments on terrorist enclaves, which he said had severely disrupted activities and made survival increasingly difficult,” he wrote.

Following his surrender, the suspect was quarantined in line with military procedure and given food and medical assistance. He was detained by the troops for further profiling, intelligence debriefing and other necessary administrative actions.

Security sources said the surrender highlights the continued impact of sustained air and ground operations in weakening terrorist capabilities and encouraging defections from insurgent ranks across the North-East. (The Nation)