The Nigerian Army has placed a staggering N60 million bounty on two top commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as troops intensify the hunt for the terrorists operating around the Lake Chad Basin.
The wanted men are Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, described by the military as the ISWAP “Wali” or governor, and his deputy, Muhammad Jidda, also known as “The One-Handed Man.”
The Army is offering N50 million for credible information that leads directly to the arrest of Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, while N10 million has been offered for information leading to the capture of Jidda.
The development followed a major military offensive against ISWAP/ISIS terrorists in the Lake Chad region of northern Borno State.
Acting Military Information Officer, Northeast Joint Taskforce Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Muhammed Goni, disclosed the bounty in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to him, the identities and locations of several senior ISWAP commanders were uncovered through forensic analysis of technical devices seized during recent military operations.
Among the items recovered was a camcorder allegedly used by the terrorists to record propaganda videos and document their operations.
The Army said forensic experts subsequently extracted valuable intelligence from the devices, leading to the identification of senior ISWAP commanders operating around the Mangari–Metele–Dogon Chukun axis on the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin.
The areas are located within Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas of Borno State.
The military identified Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa as the ISWAP Wali and its most wanted terrorist leader operating in the Lake Chad Basin.
His deputy, Muhammad Jidda, was also identified alongside Hamad Abu Hanifa, described as the group’s Amirul-Fiya, and other key operatives.
Goni urged residents and other members of the public with useful information about the terrorists to come forward and assist security agencies in tracking them down.
He assured potential informants that information supplied would be treated with the strictest confidentiality, while their identities would be protected in line with established security procedures.
The Army warned, however, that members of the public must not attempt to confront, arrest or engage the wanted terrorists.
Instead, anyone with credible information was urged to report through established security channels or call 07084988859.
The Army said timely and actionable intelligence from members of the public could provide a major boost to ongoing counter-terrorism operations and help security forces bring the wanted ISWAP commanders to justice.
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