Zagazola Fact-Check: Viral claim of ISWAP blocking Maiduguri–Damaturu highway FALSE
…restriction of movement was a standard tactical measure…
By Zagazola Makama
Claims circulating online that suspected ISWAP or Boko Haram fighters blocked the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway in protest over alleged airstrikes have been found to be false, following verification from multiple security sources.
The viral video, which showed halted vehicles and armed personnel on the highway, had sparked concerns that insurgents had taken control of sections of the critical road linking Borno and Yobe states.
However, findings indicate that the temporary restriction of movement carried out by troops of 29 Brigade as part of an ongoing security operation in the Benisheikh axis.
A senior military source clarified that the road closure occurred in the early hours of Thursday and was aimed at preventing suspected terrorists from infiltrating Benisheikh town.
Further checks revealed that the operation was part of broader counter-insurgency efforts in the Kaga Local Government Area, where intelligence had earlier indicated possible movements of insurgents.
In the same vain, Air components of Operation HADIN KAI also conducted surveillance missions in the area. At about 1:43 a.m. on April 15, an armed reconnaissance patrol by a military scanned a 5 to 10-kilometre radius around Benisheikh but observed no insurgent activity.
Similarly, at about 12:04 a.m. on April 16, another aerial patrol covered key segments of the Maiduguri–Damaturu highway, including Auno, Maniok, Benisheikh, Ngamdu and Maiduguri metropolis, with no hostile activity recorded.
Security officials noted that the brief restriction of movement was a standard tactical measure to allow troops conduct clearance operations without interference or risk to civilians.
They urged the public to disregard misleading narratives suggesting that insurgents had blocked or taken over the highway, adding that such claims could cause unnecessary panic.
The Maiduguri–Damaturu road remains a strategic corridor in the North-East and is routinely secured through coordinated ground and air operations to ensure the safety of commuters and prevent insurgent attacks.
