Chief of Defence Staff Demands Local Ownership in Borno and Yobe to Counter Terrorist Sabotage

Chief of Defence Staff Olufemi Oluyede urges Borno and Yobe residents to stop sabotaging military efforts and take ownership of the fight against Boko Haram.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 4:26 PM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Daily Nigerian

Military Command Relocates to Maiduguri for Strategy Review

In a direct response to a surge in regional violence, Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede and Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu have relocated to the Borno State capital under the explicit orders of President Bola Tinubu. Following an intensive four-hour closed-door briefing with senior military leaders, General Oluyede announced a comprehensive review of the current strategy for Operation HADIN KAI. The command's physical presence in the North East is intended to provide immediate tactical oversight as the military grapples with a renewed wave of bombings and targeted attacks. This high-level relocation signals a shift in the federal government’s approach to the long-standing insurgency, prioritizing direct command intervention to neutralize escalating threats.

Direct Accusations of Local Complicity in Terror Attacks

During a press briefing on Wednesday, General Oluyede delivered a sharp critique of the civilian populations in Borno and Yobe, alleging that significant segments of these communities are actively sabotaging military operations. The General insisted that intelligence reports confirm many of those perpetrating violence over the last 15 years are local residents rather than foreign actors. He characterized the insurgents as "brothers, sisters, and cousins" to the very people they are terrorizing, suggesting that a lack of community cooperation has allowed the conflict to persist. By publicly calling out this dynamic, the military command is putting pressure on local leaders and families to choose between protecting their kin or ending the cycle of destruction.

Evidence of Insurgent Sheltering in Rural Villages

The Chief of Defence Staff provided specific examples of local residents harboring wounded combatants to illustrate his claims of complicity. He cited a recent operation in Kukawa where a military search uncovered two injured terrorists being hidden by villagers following an attack on the area. General Oluyede used this incident to argue that the war against Boko Haram and ISWAP cannot be won through kinetic force alone if the people in the affected states continue to act as accomplices. He maintained that until the communities take genuine "ownership" of the security situation by denying sanctuary to insurgents, the military will remain hampered b...