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By Ayo Kehinde
The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has raised fresh concerns over the domestic complicity underpinning the protracted insurgency in northeast Nigeria, urging residents of Borno and Yobe states to take greater responsibility in the fight against terrorism.
Oluyede spoke after a high-level security meeting in Maiduguri, signaling a strategic shift from reliance on purely kinetic military operations to a more community-led counterinsurgency approach as Nigeria continues to combat 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 Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, theater commander of the operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar and other senior officers.
At the heart of the CDS message is what it described as a worrying reality: insurgency activities are supported in part by individuals embedded in affected communities.
According to Oluyede, intelligence reports indicate that many perpetrators of attacks over the past 15 years come from the same communities most affected by violence, reinforcing concerns that insurgents exploit local knowledge, familiarity of the terrain 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 rebels hiding within the community, underlining the difficulty in distinguishing between civilians and collaborators.
He noted that such dynamics complicate intelligence gathering and military operations, as insurgents exploit family and social ties to shelter despite continued offensives by security forces.
Oluyede’s call for residents to “take responsibility” for the counterinsurgency effort reflects 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 as a government burden.
The CDS also acknowledged evolving rebel tactics, particularly the increasing deployment of drones and other technologies in attacks, underlining that the army 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, neutralized 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 previous reports which put the number of rebels 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 towards the 68th Battalion’s position from the Duguri axis, deploying armed drones in an attempt to breach the defensive lines.
However, the infiltration was quickly detected and repelled, with troops mounting a solid defense supported by precision airstrikes.
Four targeted air interdiction attacks were carried out on identified withdrawal routes, effectively reducing the insurgents’ fighting capacity and disrupting their movements. The prolonged bombardment forced the fighters into a disorganized retreat towards the Arege axis.
Additional air support from Niger Republic has further compounded the losses of the fleeing insurgents, with security sources indicating that the combined firepower significantly increased the number of casualties, although a full damage assessment from the battle is underway.
The troops also recovered a cache of weapons and ammunition from the battlefield, dealing a further blow to ISWAP’s operational capacity in the Lake Chad region.
On the government forces’ side, four soldiers suffered minor injuries and have since been treated and stabilized.
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