The Nigerian Army has declared 38 ISWAP leaders wanted after recovering intelligence materials during operations in Borno, offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the group’s top commander.

The Nigerian Army has declared 38 senior leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) wanted, offering a financial reward for credible information leading to the arrest of the group’s top commander in the Lake Chad Basin.

The declaration was made in a statement issued on Wednesday by the headquarters of Operation HADIN KAI, following offensive operations in the Lake Chad region of Borno State during which troops recovered a camcorder and other intelligence materials.

The army said forensic analysis of the recovered devices led to the identification of 38 key ISWAP commanders and their locations within the Mangari-Metele-Dogon Chukun axis in Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas of Borno State two of the most active theatres of ISWAP insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin.

The intelligence haul represents a significant breakthrough in mapping the group’s active leadership network, providing the military with actionable location data on commanders who have historically operated from remote and difficult-to-access terrain along the Lake Chad shoreline.

The three most wanted

Among the 38 individuals declared wanted, three commanders stand at the top of the list. Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa has been identified as the Wali or governor of ISWAP and is described as one of the group’s most wanted leaders in the Lake Chad Basin. A financial reward will be offered for credible information leading to his arrest, the army said.

Muhammad Jidda, also known as “The One-Handed Man,” has been identified as the group’s deputy leader and Amirul Jaish commander of the army marking him as a key operational figure within the terrorist hierarchy. Hamad Abu Hanifa has been identified as the Amirul-Fiya, ISWAP’s field military commander.

How to report: army guarantees confidentiality for informants

The army said all information provided by members of the public would be treated with strict confidentiality and that the identities of informants would be protected. Operation HADIN KAI urged residents of communities in the affected areas to support ongoing counter-insurgency efforts by providing timely and credible intelligence through established security channels or by calling 07084988859.