The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General AE Abubakar, says troops have neutralized over 20 terrorists in the past one week alone as the Nigerian Army intensifies efforts to curb the resurgence of attacks in the North-East.
Speaking during a media briefing, General Abubakar acknowledged that while insurgents have recently launched fresh offensives in isolated areas, the military continues to make significant gains in restoring peace and order across the region.
“There is little doubt that normalcy has greatly returned to the North East region compared to where we were five to ten years ago.
“In war, you have several campaigns which are a series of coordinated operations aimed at achieving strategic objectives.
“So, you win some, you lose some. But what is most important is the statistics of what you win against what you lose.
“In the last one week alone, I can tell you for a fact that over 20 terrorists have been neutralized, and we have recovered several arms and ammunition,”;; he said.
The commander cited successes in Malamfatori and kukawa, where nearly 20,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their ancestral homes; a development he described as a major milestone.
However, he warned that the resurgence of attacks is tied to worsening security in the Greater Sahel region.
According to him, ransacked military barracks in neighboring countries have led to weapons proliferation, which often spills into Nigeria due to porous borders.
“Two years ago, we were ready to say the conflict was over, but the deterioration in security among Sahel states has also affected us,”;; he noted.
He explained that while the military has reorganized and inducted additional platforms and personnel into the theatre, terrorists have shifted tactics by launching attacks on vulnerable deployments and amplifying their activities for propaganda.
Despite this, Abubakar maintained that the Nigerian military remains committed to restoring full peace and security.
“We will completely defeat this terrorism and restore peace to the region once and for all in the shortest possible time,”;; he assured.
