The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, on Wednesday arrived in Maiduguri, Borno State, on an operational assessment visit to the Headquarters Theatre Command, Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai.
The visit came barely 24 hours after recent suicide bomb incidents within the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
Addressing officers and troops at the Maimalari Cantonment, Oluyede commended them for their resilience, sacrifice, and sustained pressure on terrorist elements across the theatre.
He charged the personnel to remain committed and resolute in the discharge of their duties.
The CDS directed commanders to intensify offensive operations, strengthen intelligence gathering, and adopt proactive strategies to dominate the battlespace and prevent a recurrence of attacks.
He emphasised the need to sustain operational momentum and assured troops of continued support from the Defence Headquarters towards defeating terrorism.
Speaking, the COAS also praised the troops for their dedication and consistency in ongoing operations.
Shaibu urged field commanders to intensify offensives and maintain a “never again” posture to deny terrorists the opportunity to launch attacks, especially during the Ramadan period.
He further assured the Theatre Command of additional support to enhance operational effectiveness and strengthen force protection.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander presented an operational briefing, highlighting ongoing engagements, challenges, and recent successes recorded by troops.
He disclosed that over 200 terrorists were neutralised in recent operations, while several others sustained injuries, weakening their combat capacity.
Despite recent incidents, the commander noted that troops had continued to dominate the battlespace through sustained offensive actions.
He reaffirmed the commitment of Operation Hadin Kai to intensify operations and restore peace and stability in the North-East.
