The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has called on residents of Borno and Yobe states to take a more active role in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, warning that local complicity has continued to undermine military operations in the North-East.
General Oluyede made the call on Wednesday in Maiduguri after a closed-door strategic meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shaibu, the Theatre Commander of North East Operation HADIN KAI, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, and other senior military officers.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the CDS said the military leadership was in Maiduguri to review operational strategies and strengthen the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign in the region.
According to him, recent attacks by terrorists, particularly during the Ramadan period, have prompted renewed efforts to tighten security and improve coordination among security agencies.
“We are here to review our strategies in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the North East,” Oluyede said. “In the past month, there have been attacks by terrorists, especially during Ramadan, but these challenges are not new, and we are on top of the situation.”
He, however, expressed concern over what he described as local collaboration with insurgents, saying credible intelligence suggests that many of those involved in attacks over the last 15 years are indigenes of the affected communities.
“Unfortunately, many of the perpetrators are our brothers, sisters, and cousins. We know them,” he said. “When Kukawa was attacked, we discovered two wounded terrorists hiding inside the village during cordon and search operations.”
The CDS stressed that the battle against insurgency cannot be won by the military alone, insisting that residents must take ownership of the security situation in their communities.
He said local cooperation, timely intelligence sharing, and community vigilance remain essential to ending the prolonged insurgency in Borno and Yobe.
Oluyede also raised concern over the growing use of modern technology by terrorist groups, particularly armed drones and other sophisticated tools, noting that insurgents are increasingly adapting their tactics.
In response, he said the military has stepped up its own technological capabilities, including the deployment of German-made drones and enhanced surveillance systems, to counter the evolving threats.
The visit by the CDS and other service chiefs to Maiduguri followed a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at strengthening coordination among the armed forces and containing the recent spike in terrorist attacks and bombings in the North-East.
Reaffirming the military’s determination to restore peace, General Oluyede urged citizens in the region to support security forces and reject any form of collaboration with insurgents.
He maintained that only through strong community involvement and sustained military pressure can lasting peace and stability return to Borno, Yobe, and the wider North-East.
