Soldiers from Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai have stopped what the military says was a scheme by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists to extort cash from communities across Yobe State.
Intelligence reports had revealed that suspected insurgents were moving around in two Volkswagen Golf vehicles and on motorcycles, collecting unlawful levies from residents, according to the military.
Troops based at Forward Operating Base Bukarti, working with the 27 Task Force Brigade, launched a fighting patrol on July 19 along the Paya Kafiya axis. The soldiers intercepted the suspects and opened fire during a fierce exchange.
One of the Volkswagen Golf cars was destroyed in the gunfight and its driver was killed, the military said. Four other suspected insurgents fled into the bush after being shot, leaving the vehicle behind.
Following up on the encounter, troops searched the Paya Kafiya–Garin Gada corridor and recovered the abandoned car plus other items. Captain Mohammed Goni, the acting military information officer for Operation Hadin Kai, disclosed this in a statement from Maiduguri.
Among the recovered items were 25 rounds of belted PKT ammunition, an AK-47 magazine loaded with bullets, and 15 spent PKT ammunition links. The troops also found assorted medications, nicotine products and mechanical tools, which they believe supported the group's operations.
The military said the raid fits into a bigger push to cripple terrorist supply lines and choke off money sources for militant groups active in the North-East. The operation demonstrates ongoing efforts to degrade insurgent capabilities in the region.
