The Nigerian Army has established two new Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Duji and Kekeno communities as part of intensified efforts to strengthen counter-terrorism operations in the North-East, the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), General Waidi Shaibu, has said.
Shaibu disclosed this at the weekend, during a Christmas luncheon organised for wounded troops at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, Borno State.
He was represented at the event by Godwin Mutkut, Commander of the Infantry Corps.
According to the Army chief, the newly established bases are strategically positioned to enhance military operations within the Lake Chad axis and the Sambisa Forest, two areas long regarded as strongholds of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.
He described the wounded soldiers as “special troops” whose sacrifices continue to inspire renewed determination within the military to bring an end to the 16-year-old insurgency in the region.
“We are attending this Christmas luncheon with you to inject more impetus into the ongoing effort to end the Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed many lives and destroyed property across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states,” CoAS said.
Abdulsalam Abubakar, Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), revealed that troops recorded significant successes between May and December this year.
He said soldiers recovered 254 assorted weapons during operations across terrorist enclaves, rescued 366 civilians, and intercepted 300 units of Starlink communication devices allegedly used by insurgents to coordinate attacks and evade security forces.
Abubakar also disclosed that no fewer than 881 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, alongside their family members, surrendered to the military in 2025.
“These accomplishments on the front lines underscore the progress already made in the ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the region and forest areas spanning three states,” he said.