1,106 terrorists killed, 758 collaborators arrested — Abubakar

The immediate past Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, has said troops killed more than 1,106 JAS/ISWAP terrorists and arrested 758 suspected logistics collaborators during his 17-month tenure.

Abubakar disclosed this on Tuesday during the handing and taking-over ceremony at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, where he formally handed over command of the theatre to Major General Ibikunle Ajose.

He said the terrorists killed included several senior commanders, among them Abu Bilal Al-Muniki, also known as Abu Mainok; Malam Jidda, Amir of Ngorgore/Malumti villages; Abu Modu; Modu Dogo; Munzir of Dogon Chukun; Abu Aisha, Qaid of Tumbun Mota; and Abul Kaka.

According to him, troops also recovered more than 475 assorted weapons and 24,409 rounds of ammunition of various calibres during the period.

“Likewise, 758 terrorists’ logistics collaborators were arrested, even as troops recovered over 475 assorted weapons and 24,409 rounds of ammunition of various calibres in the theatre,” he said.

Abubakar said 295 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were discovered and detonated from April 2025 to date, while more than ₦300 million allegedly linked to terrorist financiers was intercepted.

He attributed the achievements to the support of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, and other stakeholders.

The outgoing commander said more than 7,000 displaced families had returned to their ancestral communities, with previously abandoned communities now reoccupied across the local government areas of Borno State.

He also said more than 3,000 Nigerians had been voluntarily, safely and dignifiably repatriated from Cameroon in an exercise coordinated by the Borno State Government, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

According to him, the return of residents had been accompanied by signs of improved normalcy in the state.

“The signs of normalcy are visible; the NYSC Orientation Scheme returned to Maiduguri after more than 13 years, WAEC and NECO examinations are now written in communities like Banki and Gwoza, while trade routes have reopened and local markets have come back to life,” he said.

Abubakar also disclosed that more than 969 JAS/ISWAP fighters and their families had surrendered in the last one year, attributing the development to sustained military pressure and the provision of non-kinetic options for those willing to leave the insurgency.

He said 638 civilians had been rescued from terrorist enclaves during the period, while all 46 students abducted during an attempted attack on the Federal Government Girls College, Monguno, were safely rescued.

The outgoing commander said the theatre had also been strengthened operationally through the activation of Sector 4 to bridge the operational gap between Southern Borno and Northern Adamawa.

He added that the induction of Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters and the Nigerian Army Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Regiment had enhanced precision in air operations.

Abubakar further said the Military Command and Control Centre had been linked to frontline surveillance cameras to improve situational awareness across the theatre.

He said the ultimate measure of success in the counter-insurgency campaign was the restoration of normal life, including the reopening of schools, markets and farms and the return of displaced families to their ancestral homes.

While expressing appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa Oluyede, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Abubakar also acknowledged the contributions of humanitarian organisations, international partners, the media, Civilian Joint Task Force and hybrid forces.

He urged the stakeholders to extend the same support to his successor.

In his acceptance speech, Ajose, a seasoned infantry officer of the 43rd Regular Course, pledged to consolidate the gains recorded in the fight against terrorism in the North-East.

Ajose, who has commanded at battalion, brigade and division levels and served in the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone as well as Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations, solicited the support and cooperation of all stakeholders in the effort to achieve lasting peace in the region.

The ceremony also featured the presentation of awards to individuals recognised for their contributions to the fight against terrorism.

Among the recipients were the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Borno State Council, Comrade Abdulkareem Haruna, and Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel in Borno, Comrade Inusa Ndahi.