Renewed B/Haram attacks: We are on top of the situation – COAS

2026-03-07 - 17:28

By Ndahi Marama The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu, has said that the military troops of the Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI are on top of the situation to decimate remnants of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists causing pockets of attacks in some parts of Borno state and the North East. General Shaibu stated this in an interview with journalists shortly after he held a closed-door meeting with the Theatre Commander, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar and other top military commanders at the 7Div, Nigerian Army, Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri on Saturday. The Chief of Army Staff was on a one-day operational visit to the Theatre for appraisal of the renewed attacks, mostly targeting military formations which had claimed many lives, including terrorists, soldiers and innocent civilians. This is as the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon.(Dr) Abdulkarim Lawan has expressed his profound condolences to the families of those who were massacred during multiple attacks by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Ngoshe, Konduga, Mainok, Jakana and Marte communities. Recalled that within the week, at Ngoshe, a village in Gwoza local government area of the state, several civilians and some soldiers were slaughtered, while over 300 people, mostly women and children, were abducted. In Konduga local government alone, some soldiers, including the Commanding Officer, were killed, with troops’ equipment and some residential houses destroyed last Friday. After the closed-door meeting which took almost three hours, Shaibu said, he was briefed thoroughly about the ongoing operations at the frontline by the respective commanders which borders on the progress made so far and on issues that required immediate attention towards meeting their troops’ targets. “I am here for a routine operational visit, and this meeting further avail me the opportunity to hear from the troops on the frontline about their needs and challenges in each of the commands and battalion with a view to address and respond to them immediately, while efforts are being made at the army headquarters to ensure effective discharge of our duties, professional operation and with moral discipline at the frontline”. The COAS stated. He then assured that the Nigerian Army will not relent on its efforts and mission to ensure peace is restored and normalcy prevail across the region and the country as a whole. Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan in his sympathy message over the renewed killings on Saturday which was signed by his Senior Technical on Information, Printing and Publication, Maina Ma’aji Maina Modu, described the attacks as barbaric, heartbreaking, and a painful reminder of the sacrifices the people of Borno State continue to endure in the struggle against insurgency. The Speaker said, he received the news of the tragic killings in Ngoshe and the attack in Konduga, and other locations with deep shock and sadness. He noted that the loss of innocent lives in the affected communities is a tragedy not only for the immediate families but also for the entire state. ” Concerning the renewed Boko Haram attacks and killings, the Borno State House of Assembly stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and the resilient people of the affected communities during this moment of grief and mourning. May the Souls of the departed Rest In Aljannatul Firdaus, and grant quick recovery for the injured ones”. Speaker Lawan mourned. He urged residents to remain calm, united, and vigilant while continuing to cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that could help prevent further attacks. He also commend the gallant efforts and sacrifices of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies who remain at the forefront of the fight against insurgency in the state, even as he reaffirmed the continued support of the State Assembly for all policies and initiatives aimed at strengthening security and restoring lasting peace across the state.