The Nigerian military’s sustained offensive in the North-East is producing results that its commanders describe as significant — and the numbers from just one week tell a striking story.

More than 76 fighters loyal to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) abandoned their enclaves and surrendered to troops operating under the Joint Task Force North-East, known as Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), within the past week alone.

Among those who gave themselves up were key members of the terrorist network, according to the military.

The announcement came in a statement by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer at the Headquarters of Operation HADIN KAI.

Goni described the surrenders as a direct result of relentless military pressure that has degraded ISWAP’s ability to fight and shaken confidence within its ranks.

“Persistent military operations have continued to degrade the terrorists’ combat capabilities while eroding confidence within their ranks and leadership. Within the last week alone, a total of 76 terrorist foot soldiers with some families surrendered to troops.”

Operation HADIN KAI — meaning “Cooperation” in Hausa — was launched in 2021 to coordinate the Nigerian military's counter-insurgency campaign across the six states of the North-East geopolitical zone: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe.

The region has been the epicentre of Boko Haram and ISWAP violence for over a decade, with hundreds of thousands displaced and thousands killed.

Military Says Command Structures Are Being Dismantled

Captain Goni said the surrenders reflect a broader collapse in ISWAP’s operational capacity, not just a reduction in foot soldiers.

“The development highlights the devastating impact of the sustained offensive by Operation HADIN KAI, which continues to dismantle terrorist strongholds, disrupt command and logistics structures, and deny the insurgents freedom of action across the theatre.”

The 76 fighters and their families are currently held at a secure location, where they are undergoing profiling, debriefing, and processing in line with established military protocols.

The military made clear that these surrenders would not prompt any pause in operations.

“Operation HADIN KAI remains resolute in its mission to completely defeat terrorism and restore lasting peace and security across the North-East, and the pressure on the remaining terrorist elements will continue unabated until they are completely neutralised or forced to surrender,” Goni said.

The Nigerian military attributes its recent gains to a combination of precision combat operations, intelligence-led engagements, and coordinated joint efforts with partner agencies — an approach it says has systematically broken down ISWAP’s ability to sustain itself in the field.