Troops of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have arrested 18 suspected Boko Haram logistic suppliers along the 40-kilometre Maiduguri-Magumeri Road in Borno State.

According to a credible military source in Maiduguri, the suspects were intercepted while travelling along the 85-kilometre Maiduguri-Gubio Road to deliver the logistic supplies to the terrorists operating in the northern parts of the state.

The source stated: “The Gudumbali-Kukawa axis is also an active and functional Boko Haram hideout.”

However, beyond the arrest of the suspects, preliminary investigations also revealed that all 18 suspects confessed to engaging in regular supply of goods and other services to the terror group.

“They all admitted that they routinely purchase and immediately deliver the assorted logistic supplies to the insurgents that are still operating in Guzamala and Kukawa local councils of the state.

“The suspects’ justification of supplying logistic items to terrorists was due to a lack of employment, which points to a critical socio-economic challenge in Maiduguri and its environs,” said the Army.

Meanwhile, the development, according to reports, validated the recent remark of the Chief of Defence Staff on the link between economic hardship and sustenance of insurgency logistics networks in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

“The arrest highlights the critical role of civilian collaborators in sustaining terrorists’ operations, particularly in remote areas, like Gubio and Gudumbali communities,” the reports added.

The Army, therefore, called for a comprehensive non-kinetic approach, combining military operations with economic empowerment and job creation to address the root causes of insurgency in the three states.