The Nigerian military has recorded another breakthrough in its counter-terrorism operations, with several senior leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province and 76 rank-and-file fighters surrendering to troops in the North-East.
The development was confirmed by the Acting Military Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Muhammad Goni, in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to Goni, the insurgents laid down their arms and abandoned their hideouts following sustained military offensives and intelligence-driven operations across the region.
“Operation Hadin Kai has continued to record significant operational successes in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign against Boko Haram and ISWAP through sustained operations backed by credible, timely and actionable intelligence,” he said.
Captain Goni disclosed that the latest group of surrendering insurgents includes top ISWAP commanders, who are currently being profiled and debriefed in line with established military procedures.
“In another major breakthrough, a fresh group of top ISWAP terrorist leaders have abandoned their enclaves and surrendered to troops within the North-East theatre of operations. They are currently in a secure location undergoing profiling, debriefing and other established procedures in accordance with extant operational protocols,” he stated.
The military spokesman further revealed that within the past week alone, 76 terrorist foot soldiers, accompanied by some of their family members, had also surrendered to government forces.
He attributed the growing wave of defections to the relentless pressure mounted by troops, which has weakened the operational strength and morale of the insurgent groups.
“Persistent military operations have continued to degrade the terrorists’ combat capabilities while eroding confidence within their ranks and leadership,” Goni said.
He noted that the latest success reflects the effectiveness of the military’s comprehensive counter-insurgency strategy, which combines precision combat operations, intelligence-led engagements and coordinated efforts with security partners.
Captain Goni reaffirmed the commitment of Operation Hadin Kai to restoring peace and security across the North-East, stressing that military operations against the remaining terrorist elements would continue without relent.
“The pressure on the remaining terrorist elements will continue unabated until they are completely neutralised or forced to surrender,” he added.
