Soldiers Under Investigation for Alleged Collusion with Terrorists, Leaking Troops Movement

Security sources confirmed that the probe was launched after intercepted phone communications linked the soldiers to a recent kidnapping incident along the Gashua–Azare highway in Yobe State.

According to preliminary findings, the soldiers are suspected of leaking the movement schedule of a military patrol team to ISWAP insurgents operating in the region. The compromised information allegedly enabled the terrorists to plan an ambush along the Buratai–Kamuya–Azare–Gashua route.

“The intelligence trail points to deliberate communication with insurgents by the soldiers in question,” a senior security source told Zagazola under anonymity.

Despite the betrayal, the military reportedly thwarted the terrorists’ plot during a rapid response and rescue operation carried out by troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion on May 9, successfully neutralizing the immediate threat and securing the area.

Military authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the investigation, but sources say the matter is being handled at the highest levels due to its implications for national security and internal military discipline.

The ISWAP faction of Boko Haram has been increasingly active in northeastern Nigeria, with Yobe and Borno states frequently targeted for attacks, abductions, and ambushes aimed at both civilians and security forces.