Troops foil suicide attempt by detained ISWAP suspect in Borno

A suspected member of the Islamic State West Africa Province/Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (ISWAP/JAS) has attempted suicide while being held in military detention in Borno State.

Security sources said the incident occurred at about 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 13, less than 24 hours after the suspect was arrested by troops of the 154 Task Force Battalion in Ngamdu town, Kaga Local Government Area.

According to the sources, the suspect attempted to take his life by strangulation while in custody but was quickly overpowered and restrained by soldiers on duty before he could cause fatal harm to himself.

He was subsequently evacuated to a Level 2 Field Hospital, where he is currently receiving medical attention and responding to treatment.

Security sources said measures around the detainee have since been reinforced, while investigations into the case are ongoing.

The arrest is related to a broader security sweep in the Ngamdu area following a series of insurgent-linked incidents in the region.

A 15-year-old ISWAP courier, identified as Tijjani, was also arrested in Ngamdu on April 12 and was subsequently linked by the Federal Government to logistics operations between the Jilli axis and other locations in its defence of the April 11 airstrike in Gubio Local Government Area.