CDS, COAS Visit Borno, Commend Troops, Order Intensified Offensive Against Terrorists
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, on Wednesday arrived in Maiduguri for an operational assessment visit to the Headquarters Theatre Command of Operation HADIN KAI, following recent suicide bomb incidents within the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
Addressing officers and troops at the Maimalari Cantonment, the CDS praised their resilience, sacrifice, and sustained operational pressure against terrorist groups across the North-East theatre. He urged them to remain resolute and fully committed to the execution of their mandate.
In a statement issued by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), the CDS directed field commanders to intensify offensive operations, enhance intelligence-gathering mechanisms, and adopt innovative, proactive strategies to dominate the battlespace.
He stressed the need to consolidate recent gains and prevent a recurrence of attacks, assuring troops of continued strategic support from Defence Headquarters toward the decisive defeat of terrorism.
In his remarks, the COAS also commended the troops for their dedication and persistence in sustaining pressure on insurgent elements. He charged commanders to deepen ongoing offensives and entrench a firm “never again” posture aimed at denying terrorists any operational space, particularly during sensitive periods such as Ramadan and beyond.
The Army Chief further pledged additional operational support and critical enablers to boost combat effectiveness, strengthen force protection, and reinforce the intensified campaign across the theatre.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander briefed the visiting chiefs on operational activities within the Joint Operations Area, outlining ongoing engagements, challenges, and recent successes. He noted that despite isolated setbacks, troops have maintained dominance through sustained and coordinated offensives.
According to him, more than 200 terrorist elements were neutralised in recent operations, with several others severely injured—significantly degrading their combat capacity and limiting their ability to reconstitute.
He reaffirmed that troops under Operation HADIN KAI remain resolute and undeterred, committed to sustaining momentum in the ongoing offensive to deny insurgents freedom of action and restore lasting peace and economic stability across the North-East region.
