A Nigerian soldier, Private Mohammed Yusuf, has been arrested in Maiduguri accused of supplying military uniforms to "terrorist" and "criminal" groups, an allegation that has revived long-standing suspicions that collusion between security personnel and armed groups is helping fuel Nigeria's decade-long insecurity crisis. The army says Yusuf, previously stationed at an army equipment factory, deserted his unit earlier this month, went into hiding in Maiduguri with the help of an associate, and was caught trying to flee across the border into Cameroon. He has not publicly commented on the case.

Security analysts told the BBC it is plausible that some armed groups, including Boko Haram and various "bandit" gangs, receive tip-offs from within the military, with poor pay and, in some cases, ideological sympathy cited as possible motives. Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission recorded at least 3,000 kidnappings and 3,580 killings by armed groups between January 2024 and April 2025, while the International Centre for Investigative Reporting says 26 major school attacks between April 2014 and May 2026 saw at least 2,416 students abducted. Borno state governor Babagana Zulum previously alleged Boko Haram had informants within the armed forces, and in a separate case a court-martial jailed three soldiers for life over an arms-trafficking scheme; a serving soldier told the BBC such cases of collusion are often "hushed up" internally.