By Beatrice Gondyi
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai intercepted more than N350m from terrorist financiers and recovered over 500 assorted weapons in the Northeast, the outgoing Theatre Commander, Maj Gen Abubakar Abdulsalam, has disclosed.
Abdulsalam, who is exiting the Northeast Joint Taskforce, gave the figures on Tuesday at a press briefing held at the command’s headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno State. The briefing formed part of activities marking the end of his tour of duty.
Giving a breakdown of the haul, the commander said troops recovered over 25,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, while 758 logistics collaborators of the terrorists were captured. Another 300 explosive devices were discovered and safely detonated within the period under review.
He explained that the interception of the funds formed part of a deliberate push to cut off the financial lifelines that sustain insurgent operations in the region.
“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,” he said.
That mandate, according to him, was measured by the restoration of essential services, including the reopening of markets, main supply routes and schools, as well as the reopening of camps and the resettlement of citizens in their ancestral homes.
On the operational side, Abdulsalam reported that more than 1,200 JAS and ISWAP fighters were neutralised during his tenure, among them senior commanders. He put the number of top-hierarchy terrorist leaders taken out at over 216.
He also pointed to a sharp rise in surrenders, which he attributed to sustained military pressure and the offer of what he described as dignity pathways through non-kinetic efforts.
Beyond combat, the commander said the theatre recorded progress in stabilising civilian life. Over 7,000 displaced families returned to their ancestral communities, while more than 3,000 people were voluntarily repatriated from the Republic of Cameroon in what he described as a dignified process.
He noted that the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp had returned to Maiduguri after more than 13 years, and that WAEC and NECO examinations are now written in communities such as Banki and Gwoza. Trade routes have been reopened and local markets have come back to life, he added.
“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 said.
“No fewer than 300 explosive devices were discovered and safely detonated from April 25 to date. Furthermore, over N350m from terrorist financiers was intercepted, with no less than 758 terrorists’ logistics collaborators captured,” he added.
Abdulsalam credited the gains to support from the military hierarchy and the Borno State Government, which he said provided critical combat enablers, including MRAPs, long-range surveillance cameras and drones.
“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,” he said.
He also thanked the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen O. O. Oluyede, for his guidance and for facilitating strategic international partnerships, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen W. Shaibu, for reinforcing the theatre with additional troops, equipment and combat enablers.
His exit comes amid continuing pressure on terror networks in the Northeast, with the military pointing to the recovery of funds and weapons as evidence that the campaign has degraded both the operational capacity and the financing of insurgent groups.
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