More than 1,106 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists were neutralised during the 17-month tenure of former Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, the retired commander has disclosed.
Abubakar, who served as the 15th Theatre Commander, made the disclosure in Maiduguri during his farewell and introduction engagement with humanitarian partners, representatives of the Borno State Government and members of the press.
He said the figure was recorded through sustained kinetic and non-kinetic operations designed not only to degrade terrorist networks but also to create conditions for the restoration of normal socio-economic activities across the North-East.
Among the high-profile commanders killed during the operations, he listed Abu Bilal Al-Muniki, also known as Abu Mainok; Malam Jidda, Amir of Ngorgore and Malumti villages; Abu Modu; Modu Dogo; Munzir of Dogon Chukun; Abu Aisha, Qaid of Tumbun Mota; and Abul Kaka, among others.
According to Abubakar, the loss of the commanders and fighters placed sustained pressure on Boko Haram and ISWAP formations and disrupted elements of their operational networks.
“The mandate given to Operation HADIN KAI when I assumed command was clear: to facilitate the restoration of normalcy in the North East so that socio-economic activities can thrive,” he said.
He said the Theatre’s definition of normalcy extended beyond battlefield gains to include the restoration of essential services, reopening of markets and schools, resumption of farming and the return of displaced families to their ancestral communities.
Weapons, IEDs Recovered
Abubakar said troops recovered more than 475 assorted weapons and 24,409 rounds of ammunition of various calibres during the period.
They also discovered and safely detonated 295 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) between April 2025 and September 2026, preventing their potential use against troops and civilians.
The Theatre, he added, simultaneously intensified efforts to disrupt the financial and logistics networks sustaining terrorism.
More than ₦300 million linked to terrorist financiers was intercepted, while at least 758 suspected terrorist logistics collaborators were arrested.
Nearly 1,000 Fighters Surrender
The former commander said the combination of military pressure and non-kinetic engagements also contributed to a major wave of surrenders.
He disclosed that 969 JAS/ISWAP fighters and their family members surrendered within the last year, attributing the development to sustained kinetic operations and efforts to provide those abandoning terrorism with a dignified pathway out of the conflict.
Troops, he said, also rescued 638 civilians from terrorist enclaves.
The Theatre further rescued all 46 students during an attempted abduction at the Federal Government Girls College, Monguno.
Over 7,000 Displaced Families Return
Abubakar said the security gains were increasingly reflected in the return of civilian life to communities previously devastated by the insurgency.
More than 7,000 displaced families have returned to their ancestral communities, with returned communities now recorded in every Local Government Area of Borno State, he said.
He also highlighted the voluntary, safe and dignified repatriation of more than 3,000 Nigerians from Cameroon, undertaken through collaboration among the Borno State Government, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
He described the repatriation as evidence of what sustained cooperation between security agencies, government institutions and humanitarian partners could achieve in conflict-affected communities.
Other signs of improving normalcy, according to Abubakar, include the return of the National Youth Service Corps orientation programme to Maiduguri after more than 13 years and the conduct of WAEC and NECO examinations in communities including Banki and Gwoza.
He added that trade routes previously disrupted by the insurgency had reopened, while local markets in several communities had resumed operations.
OPHK Gets New Capabilities
Abubakar said the Theatre was also strengthened structurally and technologically during his tenure.
He cited the operationalisation of Sector 4, which he said helped close an operational gap between Southern Borno and Northern Adamawa.
The induction of Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters and the Nigerian Army Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Regiment, he added, enhanced the precision and effectiveness of air-supported operations.
The Theatre’s Military Command and Control Centre was also strengthened to link frontline surveillance cameras, giving commanders improved situational awareness and enabling faster operational responses.
Abubakar attributed the gains to the collective efforts of troops, other security agencies, the Borno State Government, humanitarian organisations, traditional and community leaders, the media and other stakeholders.
He urged them to sustain the cooperation required to consolidate the gains made in the fight against terrorism and the restoration of stability across the North-East.
Abubakar has now handed over command of the North East Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI, to Major General Ibikunle Ajose, the new Theatre Commander.
The change of command comes as OPHK continues operations against remaining Boko Haram and ISWAP elements while supporting the stabilisation of liberated communities and the return and resettlement of displaced populations.