Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have arrested a 65-year-old woman, Hauwa Abulazeez, for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to Boko Haram terrorists operating in parts of Borno State.

It was gathered that the suspect was arrested on January 23, 2026, during an intelligence-led operation carried out under Operation DESERT SANITY V in Askira Uba Local Government Area of the state.

Military sources disclosed that Abulazeez is suspected to be a key supplier of cannabis sativa to Boko Haram elements operating across Askira Uba, Rumirgo, Gwahi, Wamdiyo, Uvu and Gaya communities.

She was also said to be a major conduit in the distribution of the illicit substance within several locations in the North East theatre.

According to preliminary investigations, the suspect allegedly sourced the cannabis from Sarti Baruwa Local Government Area of Taraba State and transported it through established trafficking routes for onward distribution to terrorist elements and criminal networks.

This was confirmed by the Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, on January 25, 2026.

Uba said during the operation, troops recovered 14 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa, with an estimated total weight of about 30 kilograms. The consignment, military sources said, was intended to sustain terrorist activities and other criminal operations in the area.

The suspect is currently in military custody and undergoing preliminary investigation, while follow-up operations are ongoing to identify and dismantle the wider drug trafficking and logistics network supporting terrorist activities in the region.

Military authorities said the arrest underscores ongoing efforts to degrade not only the combat capabilities of terrorist groups but also their logistics and support structures, including illicit drug supply chains that fuel violence and insecurity.

The military reaffirmed that Operation HADIN KAI remains committed to sustained, intelligence-driven operations aimed at denying terrorists and criminal elements the resources, space and freedom of action required to operate, until lasting peace and stability are restored across the North East. (PRNigeria, excluding headline)

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