The Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, has recorded a dramatic 202 per cent week-on-week increase in the number of terrorists surrendering to troops, signalling growing pressure on insurgent networks across the region.
In a statement, Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, Maiduguri Captain Mohammed Goni said more than 150 terrorist commanders, fighters and affiliates surrendered during the latest reporting period, compared with over 50 recorded in the preceding week.
The Joint Task Force attributed the surge to sustained intelligence-led operations, intensified military pressure and coordinated kinetic and non-kinetic efforts aimed at degrading terrorist capabilities and encouraging combatants to abandon the insurgency.
The development, according to the Theatre Command, indicates increasing constraints on terrorist groups, particularly their freedom of movement, logistics, access to supplies and ability to retain fighters within their enclaves.
The recovery of weapons and ammunition from some of the surrendering terrorists further underscores the operational pressure being exerted on the groups and their support networks.
Operation HADIN KAI has continued to combine intelligence-driven military operations with strategic communication, civil-military engagement and other non-kinetic measures to weaken terrorist organisations and encourage voluntary disengagement.
The Theatre Command said strategic communication remained critical to the campaign, providing credible channels for individuals willing to abandon terrorism while highlighting the consequences of continued association with terrorist groups.
It added that all persons who surrender are profiled, documented and processed in accordance with established procedures and applicable laws.
The command said it would exploit the current momentum to encourage further defections and disrupt terrorist recruitment and sustainment mechanisms.
The Military High Command commended troops for their resilience, discipline and operational effectiveness, urging them to sustain the momentum and continue denying terrorist elements freedom of action across the North-East.
Operation HADIN KAI, the command said, remains committed to sustaining pressure on terrorist networks, dismantling their operational and support structures, protecting civilians and creating conditions for the restoration of lasting peace, security and normalcy across the region.
