The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) says its troops of Sectors 3 and 4 have apprehended more than 900 suspected family members and collaborators of Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents.

This is contained in a statement on Wednesday by MNJTF spokesman in N’Djamena, Chad, Kamarudeen Adegoke.

The statement said the infighting by the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorist groups and the effects of MNJTF and other national operations bombardment, especially the air strikes, had triggered their movement.

He disclosed that there had been continuous movements of large bodies of people from the Sambisa forests to the Lake Chad basin within the last month.

“In a joint coordinated operation between Sectors 3 and 4 of the MNJTF in the Kamadougu Yobe River general area, along the Nigeria/Niger common border areas, more than 900 people, made up of women, children and elderly people suspected to be families and collaborators of the insurgents, have been arrested,” the MNJTF explained. “Collaboration with national authorities and subsequent profiling and handing over is ongoing.”

The multinational force added, “Also, troops of Sector 4 conducted a night patrol along Ngagam – Djalori Axis where they rescued three women alongside their four children who were fleeing from the fighting between the Boko Haram and ISWAP from Sambisa forest.”

In a related development, penultimate Wednesday, troops of sector 3 Nigeria “deployed” at Damasak intercepted 70 terrorists’ family members comprising 43 women and 30 children.

“They are currently receiving medical attention and profiling,” said the MNJTF.

It explained that the emerging situation by the MNJTF troops of sector 3 Nigeria started on March 5. This followed the arrest of two suspected Boko Haram terrorists’ logistics suppliers and their collaborators, Muhammed Sabo and Sarki Danladi, while trying to exit Monguno town to the Tumbuns to link up with the terrorists.

The MNJTF said the items recovered from the suspects included two blankets, two fishermen’s identity cards, three wristwatches, two access passes the terrorists issued, 20 empty sack bags, and some personal clothes.

The statement added that troops on stop and search operation along the main supply route Monguno–Kekeno–Cross Kauwa-Baga on March 4 arrested two suspects conveying some quantities of wrappers and other logistics to the terrorists.

“In the same vein, on March 5, we arrested one Abubakar Usman with a First Bank ATM card and an invoice containing the lists of items to procure and possibly deliver to the terrorists. During the preliminary interrogation, the suspect confessed that he had been involved in the supply of several logistics to the terrorists,” the MNJTF added.

The MNJTF stressed that the troops apprehended key terrorists’ logistics suppliers in different locations in recent times and seized fishing hooks, fishing threads, cornflowers, mosquito nets, cooking pots, clothing and cash from the suspects.

(NAN)