Nigerian troops have recovered notebooks from dead fighters of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) in Mallam Fatori, Borno State, offering insight into the group’s operational planning.
The documents contain details of individuals selected for attacks. They also outline assigned roles, weapons distribution, and ammunition allocation.
Security analyst Brant Philip disclosed this in a post shared on social media on Wednesday. He noted that similar methods have been observed in other Islamic State-linked groups.
He wrote, “Notebooks captured by Nigerian troops from slain ISWAP fighters in Mallam Fatori show the list of ISWAP militants mobilized for the attack, their roles, their weapons and their allocated ammunition.”
Philip added that such organisational patterns are not limited to Nigeria. According to him, “This level of organization was also noted in Puntland in IS-Somal, the cardboard piece (first image) was discovered in an IS-Somal position, it shows the same thing and also includes the cameraman, who has allocated memory cards instead of ammunition.”
He further explained the structure of the group. “Islamic State provinces manage themselves like actual states (it’s in the name), they have their own police, military police, ministries and more, they’re not only an armed group but they strive to become an alternate governing entity,” Philip said.
Security sources indicate that the recovered materials are under review. Authorities expect the documents to provide more information on personnel deployment, logistics, and communication within the group.
The notebooks were obtained from locations in the North-east where ISWAP has carried out attacks.
The development comes after a series of suspected suicide bombings hit Maiduguri on Monday. The explosions affected areas such as the Monday Market, the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and a central post office junction.
Local authorities and witnesses reported that at least 23 people died, while more than 100 others sustained injuries. The attacks occurred during the Ramadan fast-breaking period.
Security agencies responded by evacuating the injured to hospitals and strengthening patrol operations across the city.
