ABUJA — More than 150 terrorists, including commanders, fighters and affiliates, have surrendered to troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), within the past week, the Nigerian military has said.
The latest figure represents a sharp increase from the more than 50 terrorists who surrendered in the preceding week, signalling growing pressure on terrorist groups operating in the North-East.
The Acting Military Information Officer, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
Goni attributed the surge in surrender operations to sustained intelligence-led military operations, intensified pressure on terrorist formations and a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures aimed at weakening the groups and encouraging their members to abandon terrorism.
According to him, the development points to increasing difficulties within terrorist formations, particularly with regard to their freedom of movement, access to logistics and supplies, and ability to retain fighters in their enclaves.
«“The significant increase reflects the cumulative impact of sustained intelligence-led operations, intensified military pressure and coordinated kinetic and non-kinetic efforts aimed at degrading terrorist capabilities and encouraging voluntary disengagement from terrorism,” Goni said.»
The military spokesman added that weapons and ammunition recovered from some of the surrendering terrorists further demonstrated the impact of ongoing operations against the groups.
He said the growing number of surrenders also underscored the effectiveness of Operation Hadin Kai’s counter-insurgency strategy, which combines intelligence-driven military action with strategic communication, civil-military engagement and other non-kinetic initiatives.
According to Goni, the approach is disrupting terrorist activities and support networks while weakening hostile narratives and creating conditions that encourage more members of the groups to abandon terrorism.
He said strategic communication remained a critical component of the military’s campaign, particularly in reaching individuals willing to renounce terrorism and communicating the consequences of continued association with terrorist organisations.
The military said it would sustain its intelligence-led operations and other measures aimed at degrading terrorist networks, disrupting their logistics and encouraging further voluntary surrender.
The latest development comes as security forces continue operations across the North-East to weaken terrorist groups and restore stability to communities affected by years of insurgency.
