Summary: Nigerian Army troops under Operation HADIN KAI have arrested Yobe politician Alhaji Wakiil Goni Mama, aka Mai Salati, over shocking allegations of providing logistics support to ISWAP terrorists. Get the full story here.
The Nigerian Army has made a significant move in its ongoing war against insurgency in the Northeast, arresting a prominent Yobe-based politician over alleged ties to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Troops operating under Operation HADIN KAI* swooped in and apprehended **Alhaji Wakiil Goni Mama**, popularly known in the region as *Mai Salati, following damning allegations that he had been providing critical logistics support to ISWAP terrorists and actively collaborating with the deadly group.
Who Is Mai Salati?
Alhaji Wakiil Goni Mama is a known political figure in Yobe State — one of the Northeastern states that has borne the heaviest brunt of Nigeria’s long-running insurgency crisis. His arrest has sent shockwaves through political circles in the region, raising serious questions about the depth of civilian collaboration with terrorist networks operating in the Lake Chad Basin.
What Are the Allegations?
According to military sources, Mai Salati is alleged to have played a behind-the-scenes role in supporting ISWAP’s operations through terrorism logistics — a term that covers everything from the supply of food, fuel, and materials to the movement of fighters and intelligence sharing that aids terrorist activities.
If proven, such collaboration would make him a critical cog in the machinery that has kept insurgency alive in the Northeast, despite years of military operations against the group.
Operation HADIN KAI Strikes Again
This arrest is the latest in a series of significant actions by Operation HADIN KAI*, the Nigerian military’s flagship counter-insurgency operation in the Northeast. The operation, which translates to *“Collective Effort” in the Hausa language, has continued to record notable wins against both Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States.
The military has consistently maintained that neutralising the human support networks that aid terrorists — including politicians, businessmen, and community figures who supply them with resources — is just as critical as direct battlefield victories.
A Reminder That Insurgency Has Many Faces
This arrest is a stark reminder that the fight against terrorism in Nigeria’s Northeast is not just being fought in the bush or on the shores of Lake Chad. It is also a battle against enablers hiding in plain sight — individuals who enjoy the comforts of civilian life while allegedly fuelling the violence that has displaced millions and claimed countless lives across the region.
For many Nigerians, particularly those in the Northeast who have lived through the horrors of insurgency, news of such arrests brings both relief and renewed calls for thorough investigation and prosecution.
Alhaji Wakiil Goni Mama is currently in military custody as investigations continue. The Nigerian Army is yet to release further details on the timeline of his alleged collaboration with ISWAP.
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