A woman married to an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militant has turned herself over to Operation Hadin Kai forces in the Kukawa area of Borno State, carrying her two-month-old infant. Security analyst Zagazola Makama reported the incident on X, identifying the woman as Falmata Bakwai.
Bakwai reached the 19 Brigade soldiers at Cross Kauwa on the morning of June 26. She managed to flee the Dogon Chuku ISWAP stronghold while her spouse and his fellow fighters were absent. During initial questioning, she explained that she left because of miserable living conditions inside the camp, specifically citing a lack of food and essential supplies.
She linked the harsh circumstances within the terrorist base to persistent military pressure and airstrikes against their positions. The military has placed both mother and child in medical care following standard safety protocols. Officials are currently preparing to move the pair to the headquarters of Sector 3, Operation Hadin Kai/Multinational Joint Task Force, for detailed processing and interrogation. This event highlights the effectiveness of ongoing ground and aerial campaigns against insurgent groups in Nigeria’s North-East region.
