Troops Arrest Suspected ISWAP Spy In Yobe

Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested a suspected spy linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Kanama area of Yobe state.

According to Zagazola Makama, the suspect, identified as Malam Fantami, was apprehended during a security operation carried out by troops of the 159 Battalion in collaboration with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

Sources familiar with the operation said Fantami, a native of Dikwa, was intercepted following intelligence suggesting he might have been working as an informant for terrorists affiliated with ISWAP.

Items reportedly recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest included a mobile phone, a smartwatch, prayer beads, a motorcycle key, and ₦7,000 in cash.

Security personnel who conducted a preliminary examination of the suspect’s phone were said to have discovered materials considered suspicious, including photographs of motorcycles, large sums of cash, and AK-47 rifles.

“The discovery of these materials has raised serious suspicion about the suspect’s role as a possible logistics informant or intelligence asset for insurgent elements operating in the region,” one of the sources said.

The suspect is currently in military custody and undergoing further interrogation to determine the extent of his alleged involvement with terrorist networks and to identify possible collaborators.

The arrest is part of ongoing counter-terrorism operations by troops in the North-east aimed at dismantling the intelligence and logistics networks supporting insurgent groups.

Kanama, located in Yunusari Local Government Area near the Niger border, has often been used as a corridor for the movement and supply of insurgent groups operating in the region.