Chinese National Arrested In Borno During Anti-terror Operation

 

The Defence Headquarters announced the apprehension of a Chinese national during a counter-terrorism operation carried out by troops in Borno State.

While the identity of the foreigner remains undisclosed, the military reported that the individual, who professed to be a miner, is presently in custody and undergoing interrogation.

This incident occurs less than a week after the military disclosed the capture of four Pakistani nationals in the area, who were allegedly involved in training terrorists.

During a briefing in Abuja on Friday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, stated that five logistics suppliers for terrorists were also apprehended.

Kangye said: “Arrest of Terrorist Collaborators: Troops arrested five terrorists logistics suppliers, collaborators, and a Chinese national claiming to be a miner during well-coordinated operations conducted in Kukawa and Ngala LGAs of Borno State, as well as Geidam LGA of Yobe State between 5 and 7 June 2025.

“Amongst the items recovered were a vehicle, a motorcycle, mobile phones, a Chinese International passport, while the sum of ₦10,000.00 was also recovered from them.”

Amongst the items recovered were a vehicle, a motorcycle, mobile phones, a Chinese International passport, while the sum of ₦10,000.00 was also recovered from them.”

Kangye questioned the suspect’s presence in an area under military operation.

He said, “Anybody that is caught, just like you know with criminals, they will just deny involvement. But the question is: what brought him there at the time of arrest? Why was he in an operational area where our troops were conducting operations?”

Kangye assured that a full probe is underway to determine the suspect’s intentions and possible links to insurgent groups.

“The Chinese national has been detained and is undergoing interrogation. Once the investigation is concluded, we will furnish the public with full details—why he was there, how he was arrested, and whether he had accomplices,” he added.

He also rejected assertions that military personnel frequently take a long time to react to emergency calls during assaults, particularly in isolated areas.

Kangye characterized the accusation as deceptive, emphasizing that logistical factors like challenging landscapes and the necessity for coordination influence response durations.

“People must understand that our troops are not in every village.

“Sometimes, incidents occur 10 to 15 kilometres from the nearest military base. Before deployment, the appropriate subunit must be identified, a commander appointed, and vehicles and supplies secured. All of this takes time,” Kangye noted.

He likened the situation to a hospital attending to multiple patients with varying degrees of urgency.

“You might feel neglected if you don’t understand the internal priorities, but it doesn’t mean action isn’t being taken,” he added.

Kangye maintained that all distress calls are being addressed and assured the public of the military’s commitment to protecting citizens and neutralizing threats.

“Let’s not rush to label our troops as slow. They are working under tough conditions, and I can assure you—they respond when called upon,” Kangye said.