The Nigerian military has arrested four Pakistani nationals in the North-East over alleged links to terrorist groups, including involvement in arms trafficking and providing tactical training to insurgents.
The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing defence correspondents at the operation’s headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno State.
According to Abubakar, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were aiding terror groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) with weapons and advanced training methods.
He stated, “The infiltration of foreign mercenaries in the joint operations area has significantly escalated the threat posed by terrorist groups like ISWAP and JAS.
The recent arrest of four Pakistani nationals, whose initial investigation suggests that they deal in arms running with terrorists, is instructive.”
The commander expressed concern over the increasing sophistication of terrorist tactics in the region, attributing much of the advancement to foreign expertise.
He explained that the Pakistani suspects are believed to have introduced the use of drones for surveillance and attacks, contributed to the fabrication of advanced improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and trained insurgents in laying traps targeting Nigerian troops.
“This development is a grave concern and further highlights the evolving nature of the threats we face. The deployment of drones, advanced IEDs, and other unconventional tactics is making the battlefield more complex,” he said.
Major General Abubakar called for a robust international response, urging stronger cooperation between Nigeria and its neighbouring countries in intelligence gathering and counter-terrorism operations.
He stressed the need for enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) strategies to curb the growing influence of foreign actors in the region’s insurgency.
He further reiterated that the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP is not just a military operation but a war against the Nigerian state, noting that the groups’ tactics reflect an intention to destabilise the country, not just target its armed forces.
The arrest of the foreign nationals comes amid intensified military efforts to decimate terror cells in the North-East and curb the influence of international collaborators in local insurgency operations.
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