Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
TROOPS of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI have intensified operations aimed at crippling terrorist logistics networks, recovering ₦37 million allegedly linked to terrorist financing.
In a statement issued on 16 February 2026, the Media Information Officer of the task force, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, said the renewed push followed recent successful defensive engagements in Pulka and Madara-Girau.
According to the statement, the operation has now transitioned into what it described as “deliberate logistics strangulation operations” designed to dismantle terrorist supply chains and financial structures across the North East theatre.
On 16 February, troops of Sector 1, working alongside vigilante forces, carried out a coordinated night ambush along a known crossing route frequently used by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) elements moving from Cameroon into Nigeria.
The terrorists reportedly ran into effective enfilade fire after encountering the concealed troops and were forced to retreat in disarray.
Subsequent exploitation of the area led to the recovery of what the military described as a sizeable cache of logistics supplies believed to have been intended for terrorist resupply operations.
Troops remain in control of the area and are conducting further clearance operations.
In a related development, personnel at the Forward Operating Base Chabbal Checkpoint intercepted a suspicious vehicle carrying five occupants.
A search of the vehicle uncovered approximately N37,000,000 concealed in bags, along with several mobile phones suspected to be linked to terrorist financing and coordination activities.
The military described the interception as a “significant breakthrough” in efforts to dismantle financial channels supporting terrorist logistics and operations in the region.
The statement added that the coordinated operations reflect a strategy of simultaneously targeting physical movement corridors and financial enablers in order to degrade the capacity of terrorist groups to regenerate combat power.
The Military High Command commended the vigilance, professionalism and resilience of the troops and collaborating security agencies, noting that morale and operational efficiency remain high.
Operation HADIN KAI, the statement said, remains committed to frustrating terrorist ambitions and restoring lasting peace and economic stability across the North East.
