Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have apprehended a 65-year-old woman, Hauwa Abulazeez, for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to Boko Haram insurgents operating in parts of the North-East.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt-Col Sanni Uba. He said the suspect was taken into custody on January 23, 2026, in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, following actionable intelligence.
According to the statement, Abulazeez is suspected to be a major supplier of cannabis sativa to terrorist elements active in several communities, including Askira Uba, Rumirgo, Gwahi, Wamdiyo, Uvu and Gaya. Military authorities described her as a key link in the distribution chain of the illegal substance across the area of operations.
Lt-Col Uba said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly sourced the drugs from Sarti Baruwa Local Government Area of Taraba State before transporting them through established routes for distribution to insurgent groups.
During the operation, troops recovered 14 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing about 30 kilogrammes in total. The military said the seizure dealt a significant blow to supply lines believed to support criminal and terrorist activities in the region.
The suspect is currently in military custody and undergoing preliminary interrogation, while further operations are underway to track down other members of the trafficking network.
The Army noted that disrupting illicit supply chains remains critical to weakening terrorist operations, as such networks provide resources that sustain violence and instability.
“By cutting off these criminal logistics, ongoing operations are helping to improve security, reduce criminal influence and reinforce law and order across the North-East,” the statement said.
Lt-Col Uba reaffirmed the military’s resolve to sustain intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and restoring lasting peace to the region.