Mahmud Mamman Nur Albarnawy, the eldest son of Mamman Nur, founder of the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP), has surrendered to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Maiduguri.
Mahmud, 22, surrendered on Sunday, 12 May, 2024 and has been transferred to the Bulunkutu rehabilitation facility for further processing and custody.
This information was shared on Tuesday by Zagazola Makama, a counterterrorism and insurgency expert focused on the Lake Chad Basin, through a post on his X account.
According to Makama, Mahmud admitted to participating in attacks in Bama, Banki, Gwoza, and several other locations as a mid-level fighter with Boko Haram.
Intelligence sources confirmed that Mahmud is the eldest son of the late ISWAP founder after a profiling process at the NSCDC Command Headquarters in Maiduguri.
Makama explained that Mahmud’s surrender was facilitated by NSCDC officers through his uncle in Gamborun Ngala after receiving information about his willingness to surrender to the Nigerian government.
A reliable agent was sent to bring Mahmud to Maiduguri. After being debriefed and profiled by an intelligence officer, Mahmud revealed that he had escaped from the Ali Ngulde camp in Mandara Mountain, Gwoza LGA, and stayed in Gwange, Maiduguri, for about a month before moving to Gamboru Ngala.
During his time in Gamboru Ngala, supporters of his late father tried to persuade him to return to the Lake Chad area to pledge allegiance to ISWAP, but he refused, citing the betrayal and execution of his father.
