The Nigerian Army says troops operating in the North-East have intercepted more than N350m allegedly linked to terrorist financiers and arrested 758 suspected logistics collaborators during the tenure of the outgoing Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abubakar Abdulsalam.
Abdulsalam disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing at the headquarters of the Joint Task Force, North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, in Maiduguri, Borno State, as he prepared to leave the theatre.
According to him, the military also neutralised more than 1,200 members of the Boko Haram faction, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including 216 senior commanders.
He said more than 500 assorted weapons and 25,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered during military operations in the region.
Abdulsalam, who assumed command on April 28, 2025, said the military’s operations had also resulted in the discovery and safe detonation of more than 300 explosive devices.
“Furthermore, over N350m from terrorist financiers was intercepted, with no fewer than 758 terrorist logistics collaborators captured,” he said.
The outgoing commander said the military had also recorded significant progress in restoring normal economic and social activities in communities previously affected by terrorist violence.
He said more than 7,000 displaced families had returned to their ancestral communities, while several communities that had been abandoned for years were being reoccupied.
According to him, more than 3,000 people were also voluntarily repatriated from Cameroon.
Abdulsalam said the return of the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp to Maiduguri after more than 13 years was another indication of the improved security situation.
He added that WAEC and NECO examinations were now being conducted in communities including Banki and Gwoza, while major trade routes had reopened and local markets had resumed operations.
The commander attributed the increase in terrorist surrenders to sustained military pressure combined with non-kinetic measures aimed at providing pathways for combatants to abandon terrorism.
He said the military’s mandate when he assumed command was to facilitate the restoration of normalcy in the North-East and create an environment where socio-economic activities could thrive.
Abdulsalam commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the military leadership and the Borno State Government for supporting Operation Hadin Kai during his tenure.
He particularly acknowledged the provision of mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, long-range surveillance cameras and drones by the Borno State Government, saying the equipment had enhanced the operational capacity of troops in the theatre.
