The Humanitarian Times

By Abdulkareem Haruna

The Theater Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General A.E Abubakar, has warned that the war against insurgency in Nigeria’s Northeast has entered a complex new phase characterized by the “fusion” of terrorists with civilian populations.

Speaking during a recent engagement with stakeholders and media representatives in Maiduguri, the Commander revealed that this tactical shift by the insurgents has led to a significant decline in the number of surrenders compared to previous years.

The “Community Fusion” Strategy

According to General Ahmed, the days of terrorists dwelling primarily in large, isolated forest camps are evolving. He noted that while 2022 saw a staggering 16,000 surrenders, that number plummeted in 2024, with fewer than 100 surrenders recorded in the first quarter of 2026.

“Why are the numbers dropping? Because they have fused with communities,” General Ahmed explained. 

“They are going into sub-areas and it is easier for them to blend in. This gives them better intelligence because their hardware is often hidden within these communities. They quickly mobilize, do what they need to do, and filter back into the civilian population.”

The Commander cited a recent operation between the Mandara Mountains and Wajiro where troops tracked a group of insurgents. While the strike was successful, subsequent investigations confirmed that several of the neutralized individuals were living “normal lives” within the community during the day.

Heavy Toll on Terrorist Leadership

Despite the evolving tactics of the enemy, the Commander maintained that the military continues to record significant successes in its kinetic operations.

Since the beginning of 2026, troops operating in the Tumbuns, Mandara Mountains, and the Sambisa Forest have reportedly neutralized nearly 1,000 terrorists. Most notably, General Ahmed confirmed the elimination of 57 high-value terrorist leaders from both the Al-Barnawi and Shekau factions.

“There is no basis for home points for them,” he said, emphasizing that the military remains relentless in its pursuit of key insurgent figures.

Winning Hearts and Minds

The General emphasized that while kinetic force is necessary, “non-kinetic” operations are the ultimate key to ending the conflict.

The military is currently engaged in extensive civil-military cooperation, including providing medical outreach and school materials to locals. Furthermore, the military has taken on engineering tasks, such as patching a 60km stretch of road towards Maiduguri to prevent terrorists from planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in potholes.

General Ahmed also revealed that the military is working with the State Government to relocate civilians from “no-man’s lands” – remote areas without civil authority—to monitored communities. This move aims to strip terrorists of the logistics hubs they currently enjoy in the middle of nowhere.

“It is very important that we push out the correct narrative to our taxpayers,” General Ahmed concluded. “We are always there to let you know the true situation of things. Sometimes you lose, most times you win, but we must let Nigerians know what is actually happening.”