OPERATION HADIN KAI- Over 16,000 Bandits Lay Down Arms, Military Confirms

By Zainab Uzomah

The Nigerian military says more than 16,000 bandits and insurgents have surrendered to troops under Operation Hadin Kai, while over one million displaced households have now been resettled in Malam Fatori, Borno State.

The figures were disclosed during a media tour organised by the Defence Headquarters to reinforce what it described as the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa Oluyede’s commitment to transparency and open access to information, aimed at curbing misinformation across social media platforms.

The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, said sustained military pressure had delivered significant gains across several communities. He said improved security had enabled the return of socio-economic activities, strengthened protection for vulnerable populations and expanded safe operating space for humanitarian agencies and NGOs.

Earlier, team leader Group Captain Ibrahim Bukar commended the Defence Headquarters for promoting robust civil-military-media relations. He described strategic communication as a “force multiplier” in modern operations and emphasised the need for professional media engagement in safeguarding national security.

Major General Abubakar also disclosed that the military recently established Sector 4 under Operation Hadin Kai in Adamawa State to restrict terrorist movement between Borno and northern Adamawa. He explained that while the operation initially consisted of three sectors, the fourth was created to allow faster troop deployment to hard-to-reach communities.

He said: “There is a village in northern Adamawa, just 50 kilometres from Borno, yet it takes our troops almost five hours to reach it. It is virtually inaccessible, and that gap needed to be addressed.”

Our correspondent, Zainab Uzomah, reports that the Defence media team visited several operational sites, including the Joint Investigation Centre, Forward Operating Base Tunkushe and Forward Operating Base Molai, where they received first-hand briefings on ongoing activities.