The Nigerian military has arrested four Pakistani nationals over suspected involvement in terrorism-related activities, including arms trafficking and training of insurgent groups in the country’s North-East.

The development was disclosed by the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, during a briefing with defence correspondents at the operational headquarters in Maiduguri on Wednesday.

According to Abubakar, preliminary investigations revealed that the foreign nationals were directly involved in arms smuggling and providing technical and tactical support to terrorist organisations such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

“The infiltration of foreign mercenaries in the joint operations area has significantly escalated the threat posed by terrorist groups like ISWAP and JAS,” he said.

“The recent arrest of four Pakistani nationals, whose initial investigation suggests that they deal in arms running with terrorists, is instructive.”

He explained that the involvement of such foreign operatives has enhanced the lethality and sophistication of terrorist activities in the region, enabling groups to adopt more advanced tactics.

These tactics include the deployment of drones for both surveillance and attacks, fabrication of advanced improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and the use of military-style traps targeting troops.

General Abubakar stressed the need for a coordinated international effort to curb the growing menace of cross-border terrorism.

He called for enhanced intelligence sharing, surveillance, and collaboration among countries in the region to dismantle the networks facilitating these threats.

“This alarming trend requires an urgent and coordinated response,” he said. “Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists are at war with the Nigerian state and not just the armed forces.”

The military has not yet released the identities of the arrested Pakistani nationals as investigations continue.