The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has said the Nigerian military is leveraging its partnership with the United States to strengthen operations against Boko Haram and its splinter groups.
Abubakar disclosed this during a visit by defence correspondents to Maiduguri, noting that intelligence support from the U.S. has significantly boosted ongoing counterterrorism operations.
According to him, the military has received high-level intelligence that has enhanced airstrikes and ground offensives across key terrorist enclaves, including the Sambisa Forest and the Timbuktu Triangle.
“A key point is that we are leveraging our current partnership with the United States. On the basis of credible and invaluable intelligence, we are working to bring this battle to a favourable conclusion in the shortest possible time,” he said.
He added that the intelligence support had contributed to recent successes, including the neutralisation of scores of terrorists through sustained air and ground operations.
The theatre commander said troops had been given clear directives to intensify kinetic operations, resulting in the elimination of 54 key Boko Haram leaders, including Abu Fatima, who had a ₦100 million bounty placed on his head.
“We are seriously involved in terrorist leaders’ decapitation operations. By targeting their command and control structures, we weaken their decision-making and overall operational capacity,” he explained.
Abubakar disclosed that in 2025 alone, more than 16,000 Boko Haram suspects and their families surrendered due to sustained military pressure, a development he said had improved security and socioeconomic conditions in the North-East.
“When terrorists are kept on the back foot, citizens can sleep with both eyes closed,” he said.
Addressing challenges facing troops, Abubakar identified the activities of collaborators as a major obstacle, noting that they assist terrorists with logistics and supplies.
To counter this, he said the military had launched a “Logistics Strangulation Operation” aimed at cutting off supply chains.
“In this month alone, we recovered over 10,000 petroleum products and lubricants from collaborators,” he said.
He stressed that tackling collaboration remains critical to defeating insurgency, adding that sustained sensitisation and stakeholder engagement are being intensified to separate civilians from terrorist elements.