By Nkechi Eze
Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar has handed over the leadership of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), to Major General Ibikunle Ajose after recording significant operational and non-kinetic gains in the fight against terrorism in the North East.
According to an official statement signed by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, the formal handing and taking over ceremony took place on September 15, 2026, at the Theatre Command Headquarters, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, marking the end of Abubakar’s tenure as the 15th Theatre Commander and the assumption of Ajose as the 16th.
During a Stakeholders Engagement and Media Parley held ahead of the handover, Abubakar said the Theatre had remained focused on restoring normalcy in the North East and creating an enabling environment for socio-economic activities to thrive.
He disclosed that troops under his command had neutralised more than 1,106 JAS/ISWAP terrorists, including notable terrorist leaders, while recovering over 475 assorted weapons and 24,409 rounds of ammunition of various calibres.
The outgoing Theatre Commander also revealed that troops discovered and detonated at least 295 Improvised Explosive Devices, arrested 758 terrorist logistics collaborators and intercepted more than ₦300 million linked to terrorist financiers.
According to him, sustained kinetic pressure, complemented by non-kinetic efforts, also resulted in the surrender of more than 969 JAS/ISWAP fighters and their family members within the last one year, while 638 civilians were rescued from terrorist enclaves.
Beyond combat operations, Abubakar said the Theatre recorded progress in restoring civilian life across Borno State, with more than 7,000 displaced families returning to their ancestral communities and previously abandoned communities being reoccupied across every Local Government Area of the state.
He also highlighted the voluntary, safe and dignified repatriation of more than 3,000 Nigerians from Cameroon, the return of the National Youth Service Corps Orientation Scheme to Maiduguri after more than 13 years, and the resumption of WAEC and NECO examinations in communities including Banki and Gwoza.
The reopening of trade routes and local markets, he added, further reflected the improving security environment and the gradual restoration of socio-economic activities in affected communities.
Abubakar said the Theatre’s operational capacity was strengthened through the operationalisation of Sector 4, the induction of Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters and the Nigerian Army Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Regiment, as well as the enhancement of the Military Command and Control Centre to improve frontline surveillance and situational awareness.
The Executive Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, represented by the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman Tar, commended Abubakar for his leadership and responsiveness during his tenure.
Tar particularly highlighted the former Theatre Commander’s prompt response to actionable intelligence, improved intelligence gathering, stronger civil-military relations and attention to personnel welfare.
He also identified the establishment of a command-and-control centre linking units and formations across the Theatre as one of the initiatives that contributed to the operational gains recorded.
Abubakar attributed the achievements to the courage, resilience and sacrifices of troops, as well as the support of the Borno State Government, humanitarian organisations, other security agencies, Hybrid Forces, the Civilian Joint Task Force and other critical stakeholders.
As part of activities marking the end of his tenure, the outgoing Theatre Commander visited the Maimalari Cantonment Military Cemetery, where he laid a wreath in honour of personnel who paid the supreme sacrifice in defence of the nation.
At the formal handover ceremony, Abubakar charged troops to remain dedicated and professional in the discharge of their duties and to sustain the fight against terrorism in honour of fallen comrades.
He also urged troops and stakeholders to extend the cooperation and loyalty accorded him to Ajose, describing his successor as a battle-tested infantry general whose experience would be brought to bear in consolidating the gains already recorded.
In his maiden address after assuming command, Major General Ajose said the mandate of OPHK remained unchanged: to facilitate the restoration of normalcy in the North East and create an enabling environment for socio-economic activities to thrive.
Ajose commended Abubakar for the progress recorded under his leadership and pledged to sustain and consolidate the gains.
The new Theatre Commander, who previously served as Commander, 5 Brigade and Chief of Staff, Force Special Forces Command in Borno State, said his familiarity with the terrain and operational experience would be deployed towards efforts to bring terrorism in the North East to an end.
He also pledged to maintain existing relationships with the Borno State Government, humanitarian partners, Hybrid Forces, the Civilian Joint Task Force, the media and other stakeholders as the Theatre continues its counter-terrorism operations.
