The wife of a notorious terrorist leader in Borno State, alongside her son have both surrendered themselves to the Nigerian Army, marking another insurgent defection milestone.
The woman voluntarily surrendered after her husband, a senior commander within the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), earlier abandoned the terrorist group and gave himself up to the military.
It was gathered that the surrendering occurred through Kusuma Village in Borno State at about 3:42 p.m. on Wednesday, days after the senior ISWAP commander turned himself in to troops of Operation HADIN KAI on July 25, 2026.
According to military sources, the woman was accompanied by her 11-year-old son and complied with military instructions after receiving directions from her husband before his escape..
Investigations reportedly showed that her husband occupied a strategic position within the terrorist organisation, serving as its chief finance officer in the Jubillaram enclave before abandoning the group.
His earlier surrender is believed to have influenced his family’s decision to seek protection from government forces.
Upon her surrender, military personnel immediately carried out standard security checks and screening on the woman and her son to ensure compliance with procedures established for individuals leaving insurgent-controlled territories.
Following the screening process, both were transferred into the custody of the 24 Task Force Brigade before arrangements were made to move them to the Headquarters of the 7 Division for detailed profiling and other administrative procedures.
Military sources said the latest development reflects a growing trend of terrorists and their relatives abandoning insurgent camps as sustained military offensives continue to weaken Boko Haram and ISWAP strongholds across the North-East.
“The sustained pressure from Operation HADIN KAI is yielding results, with more insurgents and their family members choosing to surrender instead of remaining in terrorist enclaves,” another military source said.
Despite the recent wave of defections, military sources maintained that troops remain on high alert.
They noted that although the security situation across the theatre is relatively calm, operations against remaining terrorist fighters will continue until lasting peace is restored.