Nigeria’s military has recorded another significant gain in its ongoing counter-terrorism campaign after a fresh group of ISWAP commanders surrendered to troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), following sustained military offensives across the North-East.
The latest development comes as the military also confirmed that 76 terrorist foot soldiers, along with some of their family members, voluntarily laid down their arms and surrendered within the past week, reflecting the growing impact of intensified operations against insurgent groups.
The Acting Media Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, announced the development in a statement issued in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Although the military did not disclose the identities of the surrendered commanders or the exact locations where they surrendered for operational security reasons, Goni said the breakthrough resulted from relentless military pressure supported by intelligence-driven operations.
According to him, troops have continued to record notable successes against both Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) through coordinated military operations backed by credible, timely and actionable intelligence.
He disclosed that a fresh group of senior ISWAP leaders abandoned their strongholds and surrendered to troops operating within the North-East theatre.
Goni explained that the surrendered commanders are currently being processed in line with established military procedures. “Among those who surrendered are key members of the terrorist network due to relentless military pressure. They are currently in a secure location undergoing profiling, debriefing and other established procedures in accordance with extant operational protocols,” he said.
The military spokesman noted that the latest ISWAP commanders surrender demonstrates the effectiveness of sustained offensive operations that have continued to dismantle terrorist enclaves, disrupt command structures, weaken logistics networks and restrict insurgents’ freedom of movement across the theatre of operations. He added that continuous military operations have significantly reduced the terrorists’ operational capacity while weakening morale among both fighters and senior commanders.
Beyond the surrender of senior leaders, Operation HADIN KAI reported that 76 terrorist foot soldiers, accompanied by members of their families, also surrendered to troops during the last week.
According to Goni, the development highlights the increasing pressure being exerted on terrorist groups through coordinated ground operations, precision strikes and intelligence-led engagements carried out by the military in collaboration with other security agencies.
The military said the recent successes demonstrate that its counter-insurgency strategy continues to produce measurable results by combining sustained combat operations with actionable intelligence and joint security coordination.
Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating terrorism across Nigeria’s North-East and restoring lasting peace to communities affected by insurgency.
The military assured Nigerians that offensive operations would continue without interruption until the remaining terrorist elements are either completely neutralised or compelled to surrender. According to the statement, sustained pressure on insurgent groups remains central to ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks, secure vulnerable communities and strengthen long-term stability across the region.
