By Ado Oyeyemi
Seven women linked to suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province have surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Mafa, Borno State, alongside 12 children.
The women reportedly fled a terrorist enclave amid hunger and growing fears for their safety following violent clashes between rival insurgent factions.
A security analyst, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the development in a post on X, stating that the women surrendered to troops of the 112 Task Force Battalion in Mafa at about 5pm on Monday, August 17.
The women were identified as Falamatai Modu, 30; Kelu Yaga, 25; Fada Yaga, 30; Gwaya Kadi, 25; Hauwa Mallam, 25; Maryam Yusuf, 25; and Fanna Kadi, 40.
According to Makama, the women were accompanied by 12 children aged between three months and 10 years.
He said preliminary interrogation showed that the women escaped from the Yaganari terrorist enclave because of severe hunger and concerns about their safety following violent confrontations between rival terrorist groups.
The troops subsequently profiled and documented the escapees before they were scheduled to be handed over to the 24 Task Force Brigade Military Intelligence Regiment for further investigation and necessary action.
Makama said the development was an indication of the growing pressure on terrorist enclaves in the North-East, where sustained military operations and internal factional conflicts have continued to weaken the insurgents’ activities and support networks.
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He, however, noted that the overall security situation across the theatre remained calm but unpredictable, adding that troops’ morale and operational effectiveness remained satisfactory.
