Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have neutralised a senior Boko Haram commander and arrested a suspected drone and logistics supplier during coordinated operations in Madagali Local Government Area. The operations, carried out on Thursday evening, mark a significant tactical gain in ongoing counterinsurgency efforts in northeastern Nigeria.
Military sources confirmed that troops, working alongside local vigilantes and hunters, engaged suspected insurgents along the Visik River line at approximately 5:30 p.m. The exchange resulted in the death of Abdullahi Mafa, identified by security officials as a former hybrid commander operating within Madagali.
Madagali, located in Adamawa State, has long been a flashpoint in Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram. The area borders parts of Borno State and has witnessed repeated insurgent activity over the past decade, including cross border movements and attacks on civilian and military targets.
Operation HADIN KAI, the Nigerian military’s counterterrorism campaign in the Northeast, has intensified intelligence-driven offensives in recent months. The use of local vigilantes and hunters has become a recurring feature of operations, reflecting efforts to leverage community knowledge in identifying insurgent hideouts and supply routes.
Thursday’s confrontation unfolded along the Visik River corridor, an area security analysts describe as strategically significant due to its difficult terrain and history of insurgent movement. Troops reportedly responded to actionable intelligence indicating the presence of armed fighters planning operations within the locality.
Following the firefight, forces shifted focus to suspected logistics networks believed to be supporting insurgent cells within the region.
At about 6:30 p.m., troops raided Madagali Motor Park, where they arrested 64 year old Dauda Usman Gubula. Security officials described him as a suspected Boko Haram collaborator linked to the supply of drones and logistical equipment.
Items recovered from the suspect included two aerial drones and 20 solar power banks. Investigators believe such equipment may have been intended to enhance surveillance capabilities and sustain operations in remote locations.
The suspect is currently in custody and undergoing interrogation as authorities seek to unravel broader supply chains and possible accomplices.
The neutralisation of Abdullahi Mafa represents a blow to Boko Haram’s operational command structure in Madagali. Security sources say his role as a hybrid commander involved coordinating both combat operations and local support networks.
The subsequent arrest of an alleged drone supplier within an hour of the initial engagement underscores what officials describe as a rapid follow up strategy designed to prevent regrouping or retaliatory attacks.
Boko Haram has increasingly adapted its tactics, incorporating technology such as drones and alternative energy sources to improve reconnaissance and communication. Nigerian security forces have responded with targeted raids and enhanced intelligence gathering aimed at disrupting these evolving capabilities.
Community based support in areas like Madagali has also played a growing role in identifying collaborators and intercepting supply channels.
Military authorities say operations in Madagali and surrounding communities are being intensified to dismantle residual insurgent networks. Surveillance and patrols have reportedly been increased along key transit routes.
Security officials have not ruled out further arrests as investigations into the recovered equipment continue.
The twin operations highlight the Nigerian military’s sustained push to degrade Boko Haram’s command and logistics infrastructure. While challenges remain in fully stabilising the region, officials maintain that coordinated offensives and intelligence led actions are gradually constraining the insurgent group’s operational space in Adamawa and across the Northeast.
