BY: ABDULKADIR M LAWAN, NOVEMBER 10, 2026/ 01:59PM
Troops of Sector 4, Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised two Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and rescued three kidnapped civilians in separate operations in Adamawa State.
The successes were recorded in Gombi and Mubi South Local Government Areas between 8 and 9 November 2026.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by Hadin Kai's spokesman, Capt. Mohammed Goni, on November 8, troops deployed at Zangula Kilba Junction in Gombi Local Government Area repelled an attempted attack by the terrorists.
He said the troops, who displayed superior combat readiness and tactical resilience, overwhelmed the attackers, neutralising two of them while others fled.
After the encounter, troops recovered two AK-47 rifles, four AK-47 magazines, 115 rounds of ammunition, three belts of empty ammunition links and two cases of locally fabricated explosive devices.
Other items recovered included a pair of desert boots, a camelback backpack, an Android phone, a wristwatch and N15,000 cash.
In a related operation on November 9, troops in Mubi responded to a distress call from farmers around Dutse-Uku in Mubi South Local Government Area, following the abduction of Mrs Happiness Dama Dauda while working on her farm.
The suspected kidnappers had also taken her motorcycle.
The statement said acting promptly and in collaboration with local hunters, the troops mobilised to the area and mounted pressure on the kidnappers, forcing them to abandon their victim and flee.
Sustained pursuit operations later led to the rescue of two additional locals suspected to have been abducted earlier, bringing the total number of rescued victims to three.
During the operation, troops also recovered one motorcycle, one tricycle conveying 15 bags of beans and one Hi-Jet pickup conveying 13 bags of groundnuts belonging to other farmers who narrowly escaped the kidnappers.
The recovered items were identified by the respective village heads and handed over to their rightful owners.
Troops have sustained aggressive patrols and surveillance across the general area to deny terrorists and other criminal elements freedom of action, prevent further attacks and reassure residents of their safety.
The military said the successes demonstrate the Nigerian Army’s unwavering resolve to frustrate terrorist ambitions, dismantle their capabilities and protect innocent citizens from violence and abduction.
It also underscored the importance of timely intelligence sharing and effective collaboration between security forces and local communities in defeating terrorism and other security threats.
Operation Hadin Kai reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining relentless pressure on terrorist elements and their collaborators, to ensure they are denied the freedom and capacity to threaten the peace, security and livelihoods of residents across the North East.