By Harriet Tornguvan
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu has undertook an operational assessment visit to Maiduguri, where they commended troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI and directed an intensified offensive against terrorist elements.
The visit came barely 24 hours after recent suicide bomb incidents within the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, underscoring renewed concerns over security in the region.
Addressing officers and soldiers at the Maimalari Cantonment, General Oluyede praised the troops for their resilience, sacrifice, and sustained pressure on insurgents across the theatre of operations. He urged them to remain resolute and fully committed to their duties.
The CDS directed field commanders to scale up offensive operations, strengthen intelligence gathering, and adopt proactive and innovative strategies to dominate the battlespace.
He stressed the need to sustain operational momentum to prevent further attacks and assured troops of continued strategic support from Defence Headquarters toward the decisive defeat of terrorism.
In his remarks, Lieutenant General Shaibu also lauded the troops for their dedication and persistence, charging commanders to intensify ongoing operations and entrench a “never again” posture against terrorist activities.
He emphasised the importance of denying insurgents in any operational space, particularly during critical periods such as Ramadan, and assured the Theatre Command of additional logistics and critical enablers to boost operational effectiveness and force protection.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI presented a detailed operational briefing, outlining ongoing engagements, challenges, and recent gains recorded by troops in the North-East.
According to the commander, more than 200 terrorist elements were neutralised in recent operations, with several others sustaining severe injuries, significantly weakening their fighting capacity.
He reaffirmed that troops remain determined and undeterred, maintaining sustained offensive actions aimed at denying terrorists freedom of movement while restoring lasting peace and economic stability to the North-East region.
