The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) says its Sectors 3 and 4 troops have arrested more than 900 suspected family members and collaborators of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.
This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by Lt.-Col. Kamarudeen Adegoke, the MNJTF Chief Military Public Information Officer in N’Djamena Chad.
According to Adegoke, the infighting by the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorist groups, as well as the effects of the MNJTF and other national operations bombardment, especially the effects of the air strikes, had set off their movement.
He noted that there had been continuous movements of large bodies of people from the Sambisa forests to the Lake Chad basin within the last one month.
“In a joint coordinated operations 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.
“Collaboration with national authorities and subsequent profiling and handing over is ongoing.
“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 encouraging development, on March 8, troops of Sector 3 Nigeria deployed at Damasak intercepted 70 terrorists’ family members comprising 43 women and 30 children.