Army Reports Major Success, 1,200 Terrorists Neutralised in North-East
The Nigerian military has reported significant operational gains against terrorist groups in the North-East, including the neutralisation of more than 1,200 fighters and the arrest of hundreds of suspected logistics collaborators.
The National Lens reports that the figures were disclosed by the outgoing Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abubakar Abdulsalam, during a briefing in Maiduguri on Tuesday as he formally ended his tenure in the theatre.
According to Gen Abdulsalam, military operations during his command also led to the recovery of more than N350 million allegedly linked to terrorist financiers, while 758 suspected logistics collaborators were taken into custody.
He said troops recovered more than 500 assorted weapons and over 25,000 rounds of ammunition during the period.
The commander further disclosed that more than 300 explosive devices were discovered and safely detonated, helping to reduce the threat posed by improvised explosive devices along communities and movement routes.
Beyond battlefield operations, Abdulsalam said the military's activities had contributed to the gradual return of civilian life in parts of the region.
He said more than 7,000 displaced families had returned to their communities, while over 3,000 people were repatriated from Cameroon.
According to him, several previously abandoned communities have begun to regain economic and social activity, with markets and major supply routes reopening.
He also pointed to the return of the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp to Maiduguri after more than a decade and the resumption of WAEC and NECO examinations in communities including Banki and Gwoza as signs of improving stability.
On the counter-terrorism campaign, Abdulsalam said more than 216 senior terrorist commanders were among those killed during the period under review.
He attributed the reported gains to sustained military pressure combined with non-kinetic measures designed to encourage surrender and facilitate the reintegration of those willing to abandon terrorism.
The outgoing commander said the progress recorded in the North-East was the result of cooperation among the armed forces, the Borno State Government and other stakeholders.
He expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, military leadership and the Borno State Government for supporting Operation Hadin Kai with additional personnel, equipment and other operational resources.
The figures announced at the briefing represent the military's account of its operations and have not been independently audited. Other Nigerian media reports have cited different totals for terrorist casualties while broadly reporting the same figures for captured logistics collaborators and recovered funds.
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