By Ayo Kehinde
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has raised fresh concerns over internal complicity sustaining the protracted insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East, urging residents of Borno and Yobe states to take greater ownership of the fight against terrorism.
Oluyede spoke after a high-level security meeting in Maiduguri, signalling a strategic shift from reliance on purely kinetic military operations to a more community-driven counterinsurgency approach, as Nigeria continues to battle threats posed by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The meeting, which lasted about four hours, brought together top military commanders, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, and other senior officers.
At the core of the CDS’s message is what he described as a troubling reality—insurgency activities are being sustained in part by individuals embedded within affected communities.
According to Oluyede, intelligence reports indicate that many perpetrators of attacks over the past 15 years originate from the same communities most impacted by the violence, reinforcing concerns that insurgents exploit local knowledge, terrain familiarity and social networks to gain operational advantage.
Citing a recent incident in Kukawa, the CDS revealed that troops, during post-attack clearance operations, discovered wounded insurgents hiding within the community, underscoring the difficulty in distinguishing between civilians and collaborators.
He noted that such dynamics complicate intelligence gathering and military operations, as insurgents leverage familial and social ties for cover despite sustained offensives by security forces.
Oluyede’s call for residents to “take ownership” of the counterinsurgency effort reflects a recognition that military force alone cannot decisively end the conflict without active civilian cooperation. He urged communities to view the fight as a collective responsibility rather than solely a government burden.
The CDS also acknowledged evolving insurgent tactics, particularly the increasing deployment of drones and other technologies in attacks, noting that the military is responding with enhanced capabilities, including advanced drone systems to improve surveillance, targeting and coordination.
Meanwhile, in a major operational success, troops of Operation Hadin Kai, supported by the Nigerian Air Force and allied assets, neutralised at least 75 ISWAP fighters during a failed infiltration attempt in Malam Fatori, Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest figures represent an increase from earlier reports that put the number of insurgents killed at 61, following coordinated ground and air responses to the attack.
Military sources said the assault, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, involved ISWAP fighters advancing on foot toward the 68 Battalion position from the Duguri axis, reportedly deploying armed drones in a bid to breach defensive lines.
However, the infiltration was swiftly detected and repelled, with troops mounting a robust defence supported by precision air strikes.
Four targeted air interdiction strikes were carried out on identified withdrawal routes, effectively degrading the insurgents’ combat capability and disrupting their movement. The sustained bombardment forced the fighters into a disorganised retreat toward the Arege axis.
Additional air support from the Niger Republic further compounded the losses of the fleeing insurgents, with security sources indicating that the combined firepower significantly increased casualty figures, although a full battle damage assessment is ongoing.
Troops also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the battlefield, dealing a further blow to ISWAP’s operational capacity in the Lake Chad region.
On the side of government forces, four soldiers sustained minor injuries and have since been treated and stabilised.
