CDS urges Borno, Yobe residents to take ownership in fight against Boko Haram/ISWAP

2026-03-18 - 15:52

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has called on the people of Borno and Yobe states to actively participate in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, warning that local complicity has hindered military operations in the region. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday after a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu, the Theatre Commander of North East Operation HADIN KAI, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, and other senior military officers in Maiduguri, Oluyede alleged that credible intelligence indicates many individuals responsible for attacks over the past 15 years are from the affected states. “We are here to review our strategies in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the North East,” Oluyede said. “In the past month, there have been attacks by terrorists, especially during Ramadan, but these challenges are not new, and we are on top of the situation. Unfortunately, many of the perpetrators are our brothers, sisters, and cousins. We know them. When Kukawa was attacked, we discovered two wounded terrorists hiding inside the village during cordon and search operations.” He stressed that residents must take ownership of the fight, asserting that local cooperation is critical to ending insurgency in the region. Addressing new threats, Oluyede noted the increasing use of drones and other technological weapons by terrorists, adding that the military is responding by deploying German-made drones and enhancing surveillance capabilities. The CDS and other service chiefs were deployed to Maiduguri under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to strengthen coordination and nip the rising wave of attacks and bombings in the North-East. Oluyede concluded by urging citizens to support military efforts, emphasizing that community involvement is key to securing lasting peace in Borno and Yobe.