Nigerian Army Places ₦60 Million Bounty on Wanted ISWAP Leaders

By Usman HARUNA ✔

 The Nigerian Army has placed a combined bounty of ₦60 million on two senior leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following a major intelligence breakthrough in the ongoing counterterrorism campaign in the North East.

The wanted terrorists are Abu Musa Al Mangawi Baa Shuwa, identified as the Wali (Governor) of ISWAP, and his deputy, Muhammad Jidda, also known as "The One Handed Man."

According to the military, a reward of ₦50 million has been offered for credible information leading to the arrest of Abu Musa Al Mangawi Baa Shuwa, while ₦10 million has been placed on Muhammad Jidda.

The declaration followed recent successful offensive operations by troops of Operation HADIN KAI in the Lake Chad region of northern Borno State.

In a statement issued by the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, the Army said troops recovered several technical devices and other high value intelligence materials, including a camcorder used by ISWAP members to record propaganda videos and operational activities.

The military explained that forensic analysis of the recovered devices produced actionable intelligence, leading to the identification of key terrorist leaders and locations linked to ISWAP operations within the Mangari, Metele and Dogon Chukun axis along the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin in Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas of Borno State.

The statement added that other senior operatives, including Hamad Abu Hanifa, were also identified during the intelligence exploitation.

The Nigerian Army urged members of the public to support ongoing counterterrorism efforts by providing credible information that could lead to the arrest of the wanted suspects.

It assured that all information received would be treated with strict confidentiality and that the identities of informants would be fully protected in line with established security procedures.

The latest development is part of the military's intensified campaign to dismantle ISWAP's leadership structure and weaken the group's operational capacity in the Lake Chad Basin and other parts of the North East.