In a significant development for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Monguno, Nigeria, Sector 3 has announced the continued surrender of terrorists within its Area of Operations. The latest individuals to lay down their arms are 19-year-old Abubakar Mohammed, known as Garba, and 13-year-old Bana Modu, both identified as improvised explosive device (IED) experts. Their surrender on April 21, 2024, marks a noteworthy milestone in the ongoing efforts to dismantle Boko Haram’s operations in the region.
Following their surrender, Mohammed and Modu disclosed during a preliminary investigation that they had been instructed to plant IEDs along specific roads in Baga, Kukawa Local Government of Borno State, Nigeria. However, instead of carrying out their orders, they chose to abandon their mission, escape with the IEDs, and turn themselves in to the MNJTF. Their decision was influenced by the recent success of Operation NASHRUL SALAM, a non-kinetic operation and the sector’s personalized engagement strategy with key sources, demonstrating the effectiveness of psychological operations in combating terrorism.
Upon their surrender, the MNJTF recovered two IEDs, two mobile phones, and a sum of fifty-three thousand Naira (N53,000.00) from Mohammed and Modu. This seizure highlights the MNJTF’s dedication to encouraging other terrorists hiding in the Lake Chad Islands to follow suit, surrender, and renounce violence to pave the way for lasting peace in the region.
In a statement Chief of Military Public Information Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi said, the MNJTF remains dedicated to it’s mission of restoring peace and facilitating the return of normalcy to the Lake Chad Basin.
