The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has charged troops of Operation HADIN KAI to remain vigilant and maintain an aggressive posture in ongoing efforts to eliminate remaining terrorist elements in Nigeria’s North-East.
Shaibu gave the directive during an operational assessment visit to the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation HADIN KAI, in Maiduguri on Saturday.
The visit, according to the Army Chief, was aimed at assessing the security situation in the theatre, evaluating operational effectiveness, strengthening strategic alignment and enhancing collaboration with relevant security stakeholders to tackle the remaining threats in the region.
Addressing the troops, Shaibu commended their gallantry, resilience and sacrifices in defending innocent civilians and degrading terrorist groups operating in the theatre.
He urged them to remain steadfast, maintain maximum situational awareness and sustain the operational momentum already achieved.
The Army Chief emphasised the need for effective coordination among military units, improved intelligence gathering and a stronger operational posture to consolidate the successes recorded so far.
Shaibu also directed the troops to intensify operations in order to deny terrorists freedom of action, particularly during the final phase of the Ramadan period and beyond.
According to him, the era of remaining in defensive positions is over, stressing that troops must take the fight directly to the terrorists wherever they are found.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force North-East Operation HADIN KAI, Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, presented a detailed operational briefing to the COAS, highlighting recent operations, key achievements and the challenges currently faced in the theatre.
Abubakar assured the Army Chief of the troops’ continued professionalism, commitment and patriotism in the mission to restore lasting peace and security to the North-East.
He also noted that despite isolated setbacks in some areas, the morale and fighting efficiency of personnel remain high.
