Major Shake-Up In North-East As Ajose Assumes Command Of Operation Hadin Kai

Major General Ibikunle Ajose has assumed command of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), taking over from Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the formal handover ceremony took place on September 15, 2026, at the Headquarters Theatre Command, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno State.

Ajose becomes the 16th Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI following a recent redeployment of senior Nigerian Army officers to various command, operational and staff positions.

The change of leadership marked the end of Abubakar’s tenure, during which the Theatre Command focused on restoring normalcy across the North-East and creating an environment conducive to socio-economic activities.

Ahead of the handover ceremony, Abubakar held a stakeholders’ engagement and media parley where he reviewed the activities and achievements recorded during his tenure.

He disclosed that more than 7,000 displaced families had returned to their ancestral communities, while previously abandoned communities had been reoccupied across the Local Government Areas of Borno State.

Abubakar also highlighted the voluntary, safe and dignified repatriation of more than 3,000 Nigerians from Cameroon, the return of the National Youth Service Corps orientation programme to Maiduguri after more than 13 years, and the conduct of WAEC and NECO examinations in communities including Banki and Gwoza.

According to the outgoing commander, security improvements also contributed to the reopening of trade routes and local markets across affected areas.

On military operations, Abubakar said troops neutralised more than 1,106 members of JAS/ISWAP, including some prominent terrorist leaders. He added that troops recovered more than 475 assorted weapons and 24,409 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, while 295 Improvised Explosive Devices were discovered and detonated.

He further disclosed that security forces intercepted more than ₦300 million allegedly linked to terrorist financiers and arrested at least 758 individuals described as terrorist logistics collaborators.

Abubakar said sustained military pressure, combined with non-kinetic measures, also contributed to the surrender of more than 969 JAS/ISWAP fighters and their family members within the past year. He added that 638 civilians were rescued from terrorist enclaves.

The outgoing commander also noted that Operation HADIN KAI received additional operational capabilities during his tenure, including the activation of Sector 4, the induction of Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters and the Nigerian Army Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Regiment.

He said the Military Command and Control Centre was also enhanced to strengthen surveillance capabilities and improve situational awareness for troops operating on the frontline.

With the formal handover completed, Major General Ajose now assumes responsibility for the Theatre Command as the Nigerian Army continues its operations against insurgency and other security threats in the North-East.