The Nigerian Army says it intercepted more than ₦350 million linked to terrorist financiers and captured 758 logistics collaborators during the tenure of the outgoing Theatre Commander of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar.
Abubakar disclosed this on Tuesday at a press briefing at the Theatre Command Headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno State, as he marked the end of his tenure.
He assumed command on 28 April 2025 as the 15th Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, succeeding Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu. He formally handed over to Major General Ibikunle Ajose on 15 September 2026, with Ajose becoming the 16th commander of the theatre.
Abubakar said his mandate from the Army Headquarters was to restore normalcy in the North-East and create an environment where socio-economic activities could thrive.
He said, “When I assumed this command on the 28th of April last year, the mandate given by the Army headquarters was very clear, and that was to facilitate the restoration of normalcy in the northeast so that socio-economic activities can thrive.”
According to him, the command measured progress not only by military operations but also by the restoration of essential services, reopening of markets and major supply routes, resumption of schooling and the return of displaced residents to their ancestral communities.
“Together and collectively, we have seen over 7,000 displaced families return to their ancestral communities, and today, communities that were hitherto abandoned for years have now been reoccupied,” he added.
“No fewer than 300 explosive devices were discovered and safely detonated from April 25 to date. Furthermore, over ₦350m from terrorist financiers was intercepted, with no less than 758 terrorists’ logistics collaborators captured.”
The commander also disclosed that more than 3,000 Nigerians had been voluntarily repatriated from Cameroon.
He said the return of the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp to Maiduguri after more than 13 years, as well as the conduct of West African Examinations Council and National Examinations Council examinations in Banki and Gwoza, were among the signs of improved normalcy in parts of the state.
“According to him, WAEC and NECO examinations are now written in communities like Banki and Gwoza, while trade routes have been opened and local markets have come back to life,” the report said.
On the military’s operational gains, Abubakar said more than 1,200 members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) had been neutralised during his tenure, including senior commanders.
“As of the last count, over 216 top-hierarchy key terrorist leaders have been taken out. Troops have also recovered over 500 assorted weapons and over 25,000 rounds of various calibres,” he added.
However, other reports of the same farewell briefing gave lower figures, with the News Agency of Nigeria-reported account putting the number of terrorists neutralised at 1,106, alongside 475 recovered weapons and 24,409 rounds of ammunition. The differing figures appear to reflect different counts presented at the end-of-tenure engagements.
Abubakar said the theatre had also recorded a significant increase in terrorist surrenders, which he attributed to sustained military pressure combined with non-kinetic measures designed to provide pathways for those willing to abandon the insurgency.
Beyond the battlefield, the outgoing commander highlighted the reopening of economic and social activities in communities previously affected by the insurgency. He said the return of displaced families, reopening of markets and trade routes, and resumption of examinations formed part of the broader objective of Operation Hadin Kai.
The military’s handover on September 15 marked the end of Abubakar’s tenure and the beginning of Ajose’s command. The new theatre commander has pledged to consolidate the gains recorded under his predecessor and sustain collaboration with government institutions, security agencies, communities and other stakeholders.
Abubakar expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, and the Borno State Government for their support during his tenure.
According to him, “I wish to first express my sincere appreciation to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, for his strategic leadership and for enhancing the welfare and combat capacity of the Armed Forces.
“I also extend my gratitude to the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen O. O. Oluyede CFR, for his guidance and for facilitating strategic international partnerships. My special appreciation goes to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen W. Shaibu NAM, for his continuous direction and for reinforcing the theatre with additional troops, equipment and combat enablers.
“To the Borno State Government, I thank His Excellency the Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum, for his unwavering support to this theatre, particularly the provision of critical combat enablers which include MRAPs, long-range surveillance cameras and drones, amongst others.”
Abubakar’s departure comes as Operation Hadin Kai enters a new phase under Ajose, who assumed command at the Theatre Headquarters, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, on 15 September.
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