Army arrests kidnap kingpin, ISWAP courier in latest raids

…Recovers cache of arms, ammunition

By Evelyn Usman

The Nigerian Army has disclosed the arrest of  11 suspects, among them a notorious kidnap kingpin and  a self confessed member of the Islamic State West African Province, ISWAP terrorist courier, in a series of coordinated operations across the country.

The multi-theatre offensives, conducted between October 7 and 8, 2025, accoeding to the Army, also resulted in the recovery of over 1,457 rounds of ammunition, the surrender of insurgents, and the dismantling of illegal oil refining sites in the South-South and South-East regions.

According to military authorities, troops also recovered two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) bombs, 150 rounds of 7.62x54mm ammunition, and over 6,650 litres of Premium Motor Spirit ,PMS) alongside several vehicles, boats, and refining equipment used in illicit petroleum activities.

 Describing the operations as part of a sustained effort to “break the backbone of terror, banditry, and criminal enterprise across the country, the Army in a statement issued by Military authorities, said the  most notable breakthrough came in Akwa Ibom State, where troops of 2 Brigade, working in conjunction with operatives of the Department of State Services DSS from the Port Harcourt Command, arrested Emmanuel Akpan,” a high-value kidnap kingpin who had long terrorised travellers along the Oron–Ibaka corridor”

He  was reportedly captured during a pre-dawn raid on his hideout in Eket Local Government Area, following weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering. Report said Akpan’s arrest marked  a major disruption to organised kidnapping syndicates in the South-South, adding that he was  in the custody of the DSS .

Equally significant was the arrest of an ISWAP terrorist courier in Borno State, by troops of the 196 Amphibious Battalion, deployed in Baga, Kukawa Local Government Area.

The suspect was said to have been apprehended while attempting to infiltrate the town, disguising himself as a repentant insurgent.

Preliminary investigations as gathered, revealed that the courier had been operating as a critical link between ISWAP enclaves in Chad and Niger Republic, facilitating intelligence flow and logistical supplies to terrorist cells in the Lake Chad Basin.

According to Military intelligence, his capture  provided valuable leads into cross-border terrorist coordination and recruitment routes, marking what a senior officer described as “a breakthrough in intelligence-led counterterrorism operations.”

Also in Kaduna State, troops of the 4 Demonstration Battalion reportedly intercepted two suspects transporting 1,307 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, four mobile phones, and ₦27,000 cash along the Lere–Saminaka–Kaduna road.

Investigations as gathered,indicated that the ammunition was being ferried from Barakin Ladi, Plateau State, to Zamfara State, a region notorious for bandit activities.

Meanwhile, sustained military pressure according to the Army, “continues to force insurgent defections. Three ISWAP/JAS fighters, including a woman, surrendered to troops of 68 Battalion in Bosso, Niger State, citing hunger, hardship, and intensified bombardments in their enclaves around the Tumbun Marcobina axis.

“In Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, troops of 222 Battalion engaged terrorists in a firefight at Bazamri Village, recovering two RPG bombs and 150 rounds of 7.62x54mm ammunition after forcing the insurgents to flee”, the statement read.

Elsewhere, troops sustained operations against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta and South-East, dismantling multiple refining sites and recovering over 6,650 litres of PMS and assorted refining equipment in Rivers, Delta, Imo, Ebonyi, and Plateau States.

Reaffirming  its commitment to safeguarding law-abiding citizens and securing communities nationwide, the Army said ““These successes underscore the Nigerian Army’s unwavering resolve to protect the nation’s territorial integrity and disrupt criminal networks wherever they exist,”

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