Nigeria’s top military leaders have ordered an intensified offensive against terrorist groups in the North-east following recent suicide bomb incidents in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu, arrived in the city on Wednesday for an operational assessment visit to the headquarters of the theatre command of Operation Hadin Kai, a joint task force in the North-east.
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Their visit came less than 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu ordered the relocation of military chiefs to the state following multiple suicide bombings and attacks on military formations in Borno including the capital city.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the suicide bombers, Monday evening , detonated explosives in crowded public areas, including market and a hospital, killing 23 and injuring over 100 people.
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Earlier that day, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists attacked military formations in Ajilari, Baga, Buratai and Damboa. However, the police and the military said the attacks were thwarted.
On Wednesday, the terrorists also invaded military positions in Malam Fatori, Borno State. The spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Sani Uba, said 80 of the insurgents were killed.
Meanwhile, the Army has also warned residents to stay vigilant as the terrorists are likely to carry out more attacks in the last hours of Ramadan.
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The visit to Borno
Addressing troops at the Maimalari Cantonment, the defence chief commended soldiers for their resilience and sustained pressure on terrorist elements, urging them to remain committed to their mission.
He directed commanders to step up offensive operations, strengthen intelligence gathering, and adopt proactive strategies to dominate the battlespace, assuring personnel of continued support from Defence Headquarters.
The Army chief also praised troops for their dedication and charged field commanders to sustain ongoing operations with a firm “never again” posture aimed at denying insurgents the ability to regroup or launch attacks, particularly during sensitive periods such as Ramadan.
READ ALSO: Four killed in Borno bomb explosion
Mr Shaibu further pledged additional resources and operational support to boost effectiveness and enhance force protection.
Earlier, the theatre commander briefed the visiting chiefs on operational activities, noting that despite recent incidents, troops have maintained dominance through sustained offensives.
He disclosed that over 200 terrorist fighters had been neutralised in recent operations, with many others injured, significantly weakening their combat capacity.
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