Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intensified their onslaught against insurgents in the North East, delivering a major setback to ISWAP fighters and rescuing 74 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in two separate operations across Borno State.
The renewed push follows the directive of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, who recently ordered troops to “sustain pressure on the remnants of terrorist groups through aggressive clearance and offensive operations across all fronts.”
According to a statement issued in Maiduguri by the Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, troops under Operation Desert Sanity IV clashed with ISWAP terrorists on 12 November 2025 at Yanaga Ari in Mafa Local Government Area.
Uba confirmed that nine terrorists were neutralised, with troops recovering five AK-47rifles, rounds of ammunition, and other logistics items during the engagement.
In a separate operation described as a “magnificent breakthrough,” troops of Sector 2 successfully rescued 74 NYSC members who were on a Christian evangelism trip to Hawul when their vehicles broke down along the Buratai–Kamuya Road—an area notorious for abductions.
The rescued NYSC members in Borno State
The statement revealed that troops were dispatched after a CCTV system monitored by the military picked up suspicious activity involving three buses at the location. The swift response thwarted what could have been a major kidnapping.
The rescued corps members—36 males and 38 females—have been safely lodged at the Tukur Yusuf Buratai Institute while arrangements are being made for their onward movement.
The Military High Command praised the troops for their “impressive gallantry and proactiveness,” urging them to stay alert and committed to restoring peace in the region. The public was also encouraged to continue providing “timely and credible information” to aid security operations and eliminate remaining threats posed by terrorist groups.
