Troops arrest ‘repentant insurgent’ for ‘facilitating’ terrorist attacks on soldiers

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested Ba’ana Bdiya, a “repentant Boko Haram fighter” over a bomb attack that led to the deaths of some soldiers.

Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, said the suspect, also known as ‘Manci’, gave out details on the movement of the troops to terrorists on March 16.

The publication said the intelligence shared by Manci led to the ambush of soldiers who were attacked with an improvised explosive device (IED). 

Three soldiers were reported dead and four others were injured on the outskirt of Banki town, Borno state, during the ambush.

“Ba’ana was among the thousands of Boko Haram who laid down their arms and were accepted back by the society after undergoing rehabilitation. But despite renouncing his membership of the terror group, he maintained close contact with his former colleagues,” the publication said.

Sources in the military told Zagazola Makama that Manci had earlier in February passed a similar intelligence to the Boko Haram fighters who successfully ambushed troops during fighting patrols at Ngauri.

The intelligence was said to have led to the killing of some soldiers.

“This is less than one week after two other ex-militant, Goni Farouq and Amir Zabu, (The executioner) who were top former Commanders of Boko Haram, were intercepted in a phone conversation, planning attacks against troops,” the military sources were quoted as saying.

“The real obstacle standing between the troops and the total and final obliteration of Boko Hama terrorists is the nefarious activities of the local network of informants.

“There are concerns that the continued release of repentant terrorists into society without proper deradicalisation could subvert the progress made so far in the war against insurgency.”