Nigerian Troops Recover Over 400 Starlink Devices Allegedly Used by Boko Haram, ISWAP Terrorists
Troops of Sector 2 of Operation HADIN KAI have intercepted and recovered over 400 Starlink satellite communication terminals allegedly linked to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists operating across Nigeria’s North-East region.
The recovery was disclosed by Brigadier General Beyidi Martins, Commander of Sector 2, during a briefing with defence correspondents on the ongoing intelligence-led military offensive targeting terrorist logistics, mobility, and communication structures in the theatre of operations, PulseNets learnt.
According to information obtained by PulseNets, the Starlink communication devices were seized during sustained clearance operations conducted in the Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle, and several other insurgent enclaves notorious for terrorist activities in the North-East.
“We are deliberately targeting the lifeblood of terrorist activities — their logistics resupply.
“We are denying them the freedom to move supplies, communication equipment, fuel, and other operational items,” Martins said.
The Sector 2 Commander further told PulseNets that the evolving asymmetric warfare tactics adopted by Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters have increased their dependence on civilian supply chains, local collaborators, and covert logistics networks.
He explained that food items, fuel, pharmaceutical products, medical materials, motorcycle spare parts, and communication gadgets are frequently transported into remote terrorist hideouts through networks allegedly supported by collaborators within affected communities.
“There is a high level of collusion between some members of the civil populace and the terrorists.
“Some do it willingly, while others are forced through threats and coercion,” he added.
PulseNets reported that the military authorities also raised concerns over the use of livestock markets by insurgents as alternative funding channels, particularly through the sale of rustled animals to generate operational funds.
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Martins disclosed that security agencies, in collaboration with local authorities and market stakeholders, have now introduced stricter livestock verification mechanisms aimed at disrupting terror financing networks and tracking suspicious transactions linked to insurgent groups.
“If animals are not properly identified, they will not be sold. Through that arrangement, we are tracking and disrupting their sources of financing,” the Commander said.
