Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
TROOPS of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have thwarted a terrorist attack, neutralised suspected insurgents and rescued abducted children during a series of coordinated operations conducted between 20 and 21 February 2026.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, who said the troops had sustained aggressive offensive and stabilisation operations across the theatre.
Five Insurgents Neutralised in Borno
In one of the major encounters, troops of Sector 1, while on a fighting patrol, engaged suspected Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS)/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists near Sabsawa village in Borno State.
According to the statement, the troops responded with “overwhelming firepower”, forcing the insurgents to retreat.
“During exploitation of the area, five terrorists were neutralised,” the statement read.
In a separate operation, troops deployed at Ngurosoye in Bama Local Government Area rescued three abducted children — Abba Abba (12), Fatima Abba (8) and Aisha Abba (6) — during a perimeter patrol.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the children had been abducted about two months earlier along the Gubio axis by suspected terrorists and later moved to Bula-Daloye.
The rescued minors have since been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further necessary action.
Meanwhile, an 18-year-old suspect identified as Abubakar Abubakar surrendered to troops at Geidam in Yobe State. He is currently in military custody undergoing profiling.
Across other sectors, OPHK troops, working in collaboration with hybrid forces, vigilantes and local hunters, continued clearance and offensive operations aimed at denying insurgents freedom of movement.
The military described the operations as largely hitch-free, with ongoing exploitation and surveillance efforts across the theatre.
The high command commended the troops for their morale and operational efficiency, assuring that sustained pressure would be maintained on terrorist elements until lasting peace and economic stability are restored to the North-East region.
