The Nigerian military has recorded another breakthrough in its counter-insurgency campaign after troops of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation HADIN KAI, arrested four suspected logistics suppliers linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) during separate intelligence-led operations in Yobe and Borno states.

The operation also led to the interception of 20 suspected family members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) terrorists who were reportedly fleeing sustained military offensives in Borno State.

The Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday.

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According to Goni, troops of the 159 Battalion under Sector 2 arrested two suspected Boko Haram collaborators during a cordon-and-search operation in Geidam, Yobe State, following credible intelligence.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects allegedly supplied hard drugs and other logistics to Boko Haram terrorists, thereby facilitating insurgent activities,” the statement said.

Items recovered from the suspects included suspected Indian hemp, mobile phones, power banks, scissors, knives, torchlights, lighters, cigarette rolls, Pregabalin capsules, Piscof syrup, identity cards, ATM cards and ₦14,530.

In a separate operation conducted around 3:30 p.m. on the same day, troops of Sector 3 Garrison, in collaboration with the 242 Reconnaissance Battalion, arrested two suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers in Monguno, Borno State, after sustained surveillance of terrorist supply routes.

Goni said the suspects confessed during preliminary interrogation that they were transporting food items and other supplies to ISWAP fighters operating in Kwatan Dowoshi Village, Kukawa Local Government Area.

“During preliminary interrogation, the suspects confessed to conveying food items and other supplies to ISWAP terrorists operating in Kwatan Dowoshi Village, Kukawa Local Government Area,” he stated.

Recovered exhibits included 11 cartons and 192 sachets of assorted biscuits, one carton of Peak milk, 10 mudu of sugar, nine bars of Viva soap, six headlamps, two bags and 16 rolls of sachet garri, three packs of lighters, two Tecno button phones, one assault knife, one charm belt, four prayer beads, six packs of herbal medicine and ₦6,600.

In a related development, troops of the 222 Battalion intercepted 20 suspected family members of JAS terrorists during a routine patrol along the Gezuwa axis in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

The military said the group comprised nine women, two men, eight female minors and one male minor, who reportedly fled their enclave following intensified military operations.

“During preliminary investigation, they disclosed that they escaped from Gezuwa after a military offensive against their settlement. The individuals have since been handed over to the 21 Military Intelligence Regiment for further profiling and necessary action,” the statement added.

The military said all arrested suspects and recovered exhibits had been handed over to the appropriate Military Intelligence units for further investigation.

It added, “These successful operations underscore the effectiveness of Operation HADIN KAI’s intelligence-driven approach in disrupting terrorist logistics, dismantling support networks, and denying insurgents access to critical supplies.”

The military reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining pressure on Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents, while urging members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the North-East.

Colombia’s outgoing President, Gustavo Petro, has warned that the country could descend into civil war following what he described as widespread fraud in the recent presidential election.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Petro claimed that the June presidential runoff was tainted by “algorithmic, systemic electoral fraud” involving a massive number of votes, insisting the results were manipulated against his political ally, Ivan Cepeda.

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“We are facing fraud and an undoubtedly profound institutional problem, namely the inauguration of an illegitimate president,” Petro said.

The outgoing leader alleged that “foreign money and foreign companies with the capacity to manipulate algorithms” interfered in Colombia’s electoral process, accusing external actors of influencing the outcome of the election.

Petro’s remarks come just days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is due to be sworn into office on Friday in the southwestern city of Cali, a departure from the longstanding tradition of holding presidential inaugurations before Congress in the capital, Bogota.

The Colombian leader also claimed that De la Espriella, who received the endorsement of United States President Donald Trump before the election, plans to extradite him to the United States on what he described as false charges.

Warning of the potential consequences, Petro said, “It’s crystal clear what a civil war in Colombia could look like,” arguing that public resistance to the incoming administration’s actions could trigger widespread unrest.

The political crisis has deepened further after the left-wing bloc in Congress, led by Cepeda, announced it would boycott De la Espriella’s inauguration and called for nationwide mobilization against the president-elect.

Observers have also raised concerns that Colombia could witness a return to violent street protests similar to those experienced between 2019 and 2021, which left dozens dead.

Despite having no prior political experience, De la Espriella has pledged to boost private investment, shrink the size of government by 40 percent, and intensify military operations against guerrilla groups and drug cartels as the country battles its worst surge in violence in a decade.

His inauguration is scheduled for Friday amid heightened political tensions and growing uncertainty over Colombia’s future.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Federal Government’s claims that Nigeria’s economy is on the path to recovery, arguing that worsening hardship and the decline of the country’s manufacturing sector paint a different picture.

Atiku made the remarks in a statement issued on Monday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, accusing the Presidency of relying on “propaganda” and macroeconomic statistics that do not reflect the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians.

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According to the former vice president, the continued shutdown of manufacturing firms and the financial distress confronting many others are clear indications that the economy is deteriorating despite official claims of progress.

“A government cannot claim its economic policies are working when the country’s industrial sector is actively shutting down. Nations do not build prosperity by celebrating macroeconomic statistics while their factories close their gates,” the statement read.

Citing figures from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Atiku said 767 manufacturing companies had shut down, while another 335 were operating under severe distress.

He also claimed that manufacturers were holding about ₦2.14 trillion worth of unsold finished goods, blaming the situation on the collapse in consumers’ purchasing power.

According to him, several multinational companies, including Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi and Kimberly-Clark, have either exited local manufacturing or shut down production in Nigeria, while some indigenous firms have also suspended operations.

Atiku further alleged that manufacturers spent approximately ₦1.1 trillion on diesel to power their factories due to unreliable electricity supply and rising energy costs.

“Factories do not shut down because the opposition writes press statements. Manufacturers do not accumulate trillions of naira in unsold goods because critics hold press conferences.

“They leave because the economic environment has become increasingly hostile to production, investment and enterprise,” he stated.

The ADC presidential candidate argued that while the Presidency continues to celebrate improvements in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), debt ratios and other macroeconomic indicators, millions of Nigerians are struggling with rising food prices, unemployment and declining purchasing power.

He questioned why poverty and food insecurity remain widespread if the government’s reforms are yielding the benefits being advertised.

“Governments are not elected to improve spreadsheets. They are elected to improve the lives of their people. Nigerians cannot eat GDP. They cannot cook with debt-to-GDP ratios. They cannot pay school fees with statistical projections,” Atiku said.

The former vice president also criticised the administration’s continued borrowing despite claims that government revenues had improved following the removal of petrol subsidy and reforms in tax administration.

He challenged the Federal Government to explain why borrowing remains at record levels if fiscal reforms have significantly strengthened public finances.

Atiku further accused the administration of failing to demonstrate how the gains from subsidy removal have translated into improved infrastructure, healthcare, education and social welfare, maintaining that Nigerians deserve to know where the promised dividends of the policy have gone after enduring record fuel prices, soaring transport costs and a sharp rise in the cost of living.

The statement came in response to the Presidency’s recent defence of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, in which it argued that policies such as fuel subsidy removal and exchange-rate liberalisation had stabilised the economy and laid the foundation for long-term growth.