The Nigerian military has recorded another major breakthrough in its counter-insurgency campaign in the North-East following the surrender of a senior finance operative of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), as the wave of terrorist defections continues to gather momentum.

The Theatre Command of Operation HADIN KAI disclosed that the insurgent voluntarily surrendered to troops of the 3 Battalion under the 24 Task Force Brigade at about 6:45 a.m. on Saturday along the Ladari–Jegarawa–Tunokalia axis of the Gamboru–Wulgo Main Supply Route.

Military authorities said the development followed sustained coordinated land and air offensives against terrorist enclaves, which have significantly weakened the operational capabilities of insurgent groups across the region.

According to preliminary profiling, the surrendered insurgent served as the Chief Finance Operative of the ISWAP enclave at Jubillaram, where he was responsible for managing the group's finances and logistics.

He surrendered alongside two male children.

Items recovered from him included one AK-47 rifle, four magazines, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one motorcycle, and ₦40,000 in cash.

The military said the suspect is currently undergoing detailed profiling and interrogation to extract actionable intelligence that will aid ongoing operations and facilitate the targeting of remaining terrorist elements within the theatre.

The latest surrender comes amid a growing wave of defections from terrorist ranks.

According to Operation HADIN KAI, about 46 terrorists and their family members have voluntarily surrendered to troops in recent days, a development the military attributed to the sustained pressure being mounted on insurgent strongholds through intensified kinetic and intelligence-driven operations.

Military authorities described the surrender of the senior finance operative as a significant blow to ISWAP, noting that it further weakens the group's command structure, operational capability, and logistics network.

The Theatre Command said the increasing number of surrenders reflects growing disillusionment among insurgents and signals an accelerating collapse of terrorist cohesion under the weight of ongoing military offensives.

Reaffirming its commitment to restoring lasting peace and stability across the North-East, Operation HADIN KAI urged remaining terrorists to embrace the Federal Government's non-kinetic initiatives by laying down their arms.

It also appealed to members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible intelligence to strengthen ongoing counter-terrorism operations.