By Hamza Suleiman
Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force, North East Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), says the security situation in the region has improved significantly following sustained counter-terrorism operations and renewed synergy among security agencies.
He said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday in Maiduguri.
Abubakar said the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) maintained the operational initiative across the theatre, denying terrorists the freedom of movements and access to logistics that once fueled their campaigns of terror.
He said the lingering insecurity in North-East was not an isolated phenomenon rather closely linked to broader regional and global developments, including instability in the Sahel, the Middle East, and the Russia–Ukraine war.
“Since November last year, we have observed an increase in the use of armed drones and radio-controlled Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) by the terrorists. These trends are direct consequences of global technological proliferation linked to conflicts elsewhere.
“However, our forces continue to retain the initiative. The goal of the armed forces remains to flush out the terrorists from their remaining strongholds in Sambisa Forest, the Mandara Mountains, the Tumbuns and the Lake Chad Islands (LCI),” he said.
Abubakar highlighted that coordinated operations aimed at achieving this strategic objective was yielding remarkable results.
He said, “in the last two months alone, about 26 key terrorist commanders have been neutralised, with substantial recoveries of arms, ammunition and vehicles. Many insurgent camps have been cleared and destroyed, forcing remnants of the groups into isolated pockets.
“Socio-economic activities have resumed in most areas previously under terrorist influence. Markets have reopened, schools are functioning, and roads that were once unsafe now experience daily movement of goods and people. That is a major milestone for us as a nation.”
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