The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General AE Abubakar, has revealed that terrorists operating in Nigeria’s North-East have begun deploying armed drones in their attacks.
General Abubakar made the disclosure during a press briefing, where he outlined recent developments in the fight against insurgency.
“Since November of last year, we noticed the introduction of the use of armed drones to carry out attacks,” he said.
He warned that such drones, similar to those used in conflict zones like Ukraine and Israel, are difficult to detect with conventional radar systems posing a serious challenge to military defenses.
This development underscores what the commander described as the terrorists’ increasing ability to adapt.
He linked the evolution in tactics to the regional instability in the Sahel, where widespread looting of military barracks has allowed sophisticated weaponry to enter Nigeria illegally.
“The weapons find their way down into Nigeria due to our large and porous borders,” he said.
The military has initiated major changes to counter these evolving threats, including a review of troop deployments and increased surveillance.
“In the last two months, we have been re-strategising and reorganising. The Chief of Army Staff was here just a week ago, and several changes have been made in the theatre,” Abubakar added.
While acknowledging recent attacks in Rann, Gajiram and Dikwa, the commander noted that all but one were successfully repelled. The attack in Rann resulted in the loss of four soldiers.
General Abubakar emphasised the military’s resolve and called for national support despite the challenges.
“Our troops are highly motivated, and our resilience is not dampened. In time, we will completely defeat terrorism,” he said.
He further warned terrorists operating in the North-East to surrender like some of their former comrades who have been treated humanely, or face elimination.
The commander also stressed that national security is a collective responsibility, not just the duty of uniformed personnel, and called on all Nigerians to actively support the military by providing intelligence and helping to identify and isolate criminal elements within their communities.
“Nigerians must continue to assist the military in fishing out the bad elements,” he concluded.
