Operation Hadin Kai Gets New Commander As Ajose Takes Over From Abubakar

The English Premier League is set to experience its longest international break in history this season, with top-flight action scheduled to pause for 16 days between September and October.

According to reports, Ajose officially assumed duty as the 16th Theatre Commander during a handing-over ceremony held on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the Headquarters Theatre Command, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno State.

The change in leadership followed the recent redeployment of senior Nigerian Army officers to various command, operational and staff appointments.

Before the formal handover, Abubakar held a stakeholders’ engagement and media parley as part of activities marking the end of his tenure.

Reflecting on his time as Theatre Commander, Abubakar said Operation HADIN KAI was mandated to facilitate the restoration of normalcy in the North-East and create an environment conducive to socio-economic activities.

He disclosed that more than 7,000 displaced families had returned to their ancestral communities, while previously abandoned communities had been reoccupied across Local Government Areas in Borno State.

Abubakar also highlighted the voluntary, safe and dignified repatriation of more than 3,000 Nigerians from Cameroon, the return of the National Youth Service Corps orientation programme to Maiduguri after more than 13 years, and the conduct of WAEC and NECO examinations in communities including Banki and Gwoza.

He further noted the reopening of trade routes and local markets as some of the developments recorded during his tenure.

On military operations, Abubakar said troops neutralised more than 1,106 JAS/ISWAP fighters, including some identified as terrorist leaders. He added that troops recovered more than 475 assorted weapons and 24,409 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, while 295 Improvised Explosive Devices were discovered and detonated.

According to him, more than ₦300 million allegedly linked to terrorist financiers was intercepted, while 758 suspected terrorist logistics collaborators were arrested.

He further disclosed that sustained military pressure, combined with non-kinetic efforts, resulted in more than 969 JAS/ISWAP fighters and their family members surrendering within the year, while 638 civilians were rescued from terrorist enclaves.

Abubakar also cited the operationalisation of Sector 4, the induction of Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters and the Nigerian Army Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Regiment, as well as improvements to the Military Command and Control Centre, as measures that strengthened the Theatre’s operational capacity.

Ajose now takes over leadership of Operation HADIN KAI as the Nigerian Army continues its operations and other efforts aimed at addressing security challenges in the North-East.