Suspect tracked to Borno hideout, arrested while attempting escape to Cameroon as probe widens into possible insider network

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have arrested a serving Nigerian Army soldier accused of supplying military uniforms to terrorist groups operating in the North-East, in what security sources describe as a major breach from within.

The suspect, identified as Private Mohammed Yusuf (23NA/84/1939) of the Nigerian Army Ordnance Training Facility, Lagos, was picked up on July 25, 2026, around 6:30 p.m. by operatives of the 7 Provost Group led by its Acting Commander.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama, who disclosed the development on X, said the soldier had earlier been declared wanted after allegedly abandoning his post and disappearing from his unit.

Preliminary findings indicate that Yusuf left his duty station on July 7 and travelled to Maiduguri, where he reportedly went into hiding. He was said to have been harboured at Gomari Costain in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State by another soldier, Private Baba Kamal Sale of the Corps of Intelligence, Dikwa.

Acting on credible intelligence, military police placed Yusuf under round-the-clock surveillance before intercepting him at Jidari Bus Stop as he allegedly tried to flee across the border into Cameroon.

He is currently in custody and undergoing interrogation over the alleged supply of military accoutrements to terrorist elements, as well as potential links to other collaborators within and outside the armed forces.

Makama described the arrest as a significant breakthrough in efforts to dismantle insider threats aiding insurgent groups, noting that investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the network.