The Nigerian Army has announced the recovery of more than ₦350 million from terrorist financiers and the seizure of over 500 assorted weapons during sustained counter-terrorism operations in Nigeria’s North-East.
The outgoing Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abubakar Abdulsalam, disclosed the achievements on Tuesday during a farewell briefing at the command headquarters in Maiduguri, Borno State, as he reviewed the military’s operational gains over the past year.
Abdulsalam said the recovered funds were intercepted from networks financing terrorist activities, while troops also captured 758 logistics collaborators linked to insurgent groups operating across the region.
According to him, military operations have significantly weakened both Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), with more than 1,200 terrorists neutralised, including several senior commanders. Troops also recovered over 25,000 rounds of ammunition alongside the cache of weapons.
The theatre commander said the military’s mandate extends beyond combat operations to restoring normalcy across the North-East. He revealed that over 7,000 displaced families have returned to their ancestral communities, while more than 3,000 Nigerians have been voluntarily repatriated from neighbouring Cameroon.
He added that no fewer than 300 improvised explosive devices were discovered and safely detonated during the period under review, helping to reopen critical roads, markets and communities previously affected by insurgent activities.
Abdulsalam noted that essential public services are gradually returning to the region, citing the resumption of the National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Maiduguri after more than 13 years and the restoration of WAEC and NECO examinations in communities such as Banki and Gwoza.
He attributed the operational successes to sustained military pressure, improved intelligence, enhanced combat equipment and continued support from the Federal Government, the Armed Forces leadership and the Borno State Government.
The Army said operations under Operation Hadin Kai will continue as troops intensify efforts to dismantle terrorist financing networks, recover illegal weapons and create conditions for the safe return of displaced residents across the North-East.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
