By Emmanuel Onyedika
No fewer than 76 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including top commanders, have abandoned their enclaves and surrendered to Nigerian troops under Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) in the North-East.
The development was confirmed in a statement by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer at the Headquarters Joint Task Force North East OPHK. He explained that the surrender took place across the geopolitical zone covering Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States, following sustained military pressure.
According to the statement, the offensive has dismantled terrorist strongholds, disrupted command and logistics structures, and denied insurgents freedom of action. Within the last week alone, 76 foot soldiers and some of their families surrendered. They are currently undergoing profiling, debriefing, and other established procedures in secure locations.
Captain Goni stressed that the operational gains demonstrate the effectiveness of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy, which combines precision combat operations, intelligence-led engagements, and coordinated joint efforts. He added: “Operation HADIN KAI remains resolute in its mission to completely defeat terrorism and restore lasting peace and security across the North-East. The pressure on the remaining terrorist elements will continue unabated until they are completely neutralised or forced to surrender.”