By Nkechi Eze
The Team of the Air Force War College Nigeria (AFWCN) has visited the Headquarters Theatre Command Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno State, as part of its operational study tour aimed at exposing participants to the realities of ongoing military operations in the North East.
According to an official signed statement by the Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the Commandant of AFWCN and Team Leader, Air Vice Marshal Gambo Mbaka, expressed appreciation to the Theatre Command for hosting the delegation and commended troops for their sacrifices and resilience in the fight against terrorism.
Air Vice Marshal Mbaka explained that AFWCN Course 12, inaugurated on January 2, 2026, incorporated operational visits into its academic programme to provide participants with firsthand exposure to operational and campaign planning, joint force employment, and the assessment of air capabilities in contemporary warfare.
He noted that the Air Force War College Nigeria, as the premier professional military institution of the Nigerian Air Force, is mandated to develop officers in the effective employment of air power at the operational level and to build qualitative manpower for efficient air operations.
The AFWCN Commandant stressed that combating evolving security threats requires a coordinated and intelligence-driven approach that integrates air, land, and special operations within a joint operational framework.
He further highlighted the critical contributions of the Nigerian Air Force to Operation HADIN KAI through intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, offensive air operations, air mobility, and logistics support.
Responding, the Theatre Commander OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, outlined significant operational successes recorded during ongoing dry season operations conducted in collaboration with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
Major General Abubakar disclosed that the theatre is currently in the kinetic phase of its campaign, with the operational area reorganised and expanded to ensure wider coverage and enhanced operational effectiveness across the theatre.
He underscored the strategic importance of air power in countering asymmetric threats, revealing that OPHK troops recently neutralised hostile drones without recording casualties among ground forces.
The Theatre Commander also disclosed that a Joint Fire Support Coordinating Centre had been established to regulate air platform movements, assign operational tasks, and coordinate arcs of fire during combat operations.
According to him, insurgency campaigns are often prolonged, citing examples from other conflict theatres, but maintained that OPHK remains a formidable force within the sub-region.
Major General Abubakar stated that no operational position had been overrun or dislodged in recent times, adding that troops have continued to dominate the battlespace by neutralising scores of insurgents, including about 1,000 fighters and 67 commanders in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
He added that insurgent capabilities had been significantly degraded, while casualties among troops remained minimal.
The visit featured an operational briefing, interactive session, endorsement of the visitors’ register, exchange of plaques, and a group photograph.
Senior military officers in attendance included Component Commanders, the Chief of Staff Headquarters Theatre Command OPHK, Field Commanders, Principal Staff Officers, and other senior staff officers of the Theatre Command.
