Troops of the Nigerian military have arrested the wife of a wanted notorious terrorist leader, Aisha Auta.
This was as troops successfully recovered N37 million in cash during coordinated operations across the country.
These were disclosed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja during the weekly media briefing, during which he said that troops also arrested 20 suspected terrorists between February 13 and 19, 2026 as well as rescued 39 kidnapped victims.
Major General Onoja said one of the high-profile arrests was Aisha Auta, who was apprehended by troops of Operation Whirl Stroke in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State on February 19, 2026.
Onaja revealed that the arrest followed credible intelligence on terrorist activities in Kumeh village.
He said; “In a notable encounter on February 19, 2026, following information about terrorist activities at Kumeh village in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Benue State, troops mobilised to the area and engaged the terrorists.
“During the fierce exchange, troops neutralised terrorists while others escaped with gunshot injuries. Troops subsequently exploited the general area and recovered caches of arms and ammunition.
“Overall, these operations yielded significant outcomes, including the arrest of 11 terrorists, among them Aisha Auta, the wife of a notorious wanted terrorist ring leader whose capture is expected to yield valuable intelligence on network structures and financing,” he said.
Onoja also said that the N37 million recovered during the operations is believed to be linked to terrorist financing and logistics.
The Defence Spokesperson assured of the military’s commitment to sustaining offensive operations across various theatres to degrade terrorists’ capabilities as well as dismantle their support networks.
The Nigerian military further said that ongoing intelligence-driven operations would continue to target terrorist enclaves and criminal elements threatening national security.
