A woman identified as the wife of an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighter has surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Borno State with her two-month-old baby.
According to a Daily Post report published on Sunday, June 28, 2026, the woman, identified as Falmata Bakwai, surrendered at Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area, where soldiers of the 19 Brigade received her at about 10:15 a.m. on June 26.
Counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, who disclosed the development in a post on X, said Bakwai escaped from the ISWAP enclave in Dogon Chuku while her husband and other fighters were away.
During preliminary interrogation, she reportedly attributed her escape to worsening conditions inside the camp, including severe food shortages and the lack of basic necessities. She also said sustained military offensives and airstrikes against terrorist hideouts in the North-East had further deteriorated conditions.
According to the report, Bakwai and her infant have been placed in quarantine and are receiving medical care. Military authorities are continuing to debrief her before transferring her to the Headquarters of Sector 3, Operation Hadin Kai/Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), for further investigation and profiling.
