By joshua
Dr. Williams Charles has joined well-meaning Nigerians and the good people of Borno State in commending Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar as he bows out in style as the Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force North-East, Operation HADIN KAI, describing his tenure as a defining chapter in the nation’s counter-insurgency history.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, in Lokoja, Dr. Charles said the emotional farewell and rousing ovation given to Major General Abubakar by residents of Maiduguri, including men, women, children and persons with disabilities who lined the streets, was not just a military ceremony but a rare vote of confidence by a people who saw in him a commander who stayed awake while they slept.
Dr. Charles particularly praised the outstanding operational accomplishments recorded under Major General Abubakar since he assumed command in April 2025 as the 15th Theatre Commander. According to him, the neutralization of over 1,106 terrorists including high-value commanders such as Abu Bilal Al-Muniki, Malam Jidda, Abu Modu and others, the recovery of over 475 weapons and 24,409 rounds of ammunition, the safe detection and detonation of 295 Improvised Explosive Devices, the interception of over N300 million linked to terrorist financing and the arrest of 758 suspected logistics collaborators, clearly demonstrate a commander who understood that modern warfare is not only fought with guns but by dismantling the economic and supply chains that sustain insurgency.
Dr. Williams also lauded the humanitarian and stabilization gains that defined the commander’s tenure, noting that the rescue of 638 civilians including all 46 students in the attempted abduction at Federal Government Girls College, Monguno, the surrender of over 969 fighters and their family members through a blend of kinetic pressure and non-kinetic engagement, the return of over 7,000 displaced families to their ancestral homes and the voluntary repatriation of over 3,000 Nigerians from Cameroon, are proofs that security is best measured by lives saved and communities restored.
Dr. Charles further observed that the return of the National Youth Service Corps orientation programme to Maiduguri after 13 years, the resumption of WAEC and NECO examinations in Banki and Gwoza, the reopening of trade routes and local markets, and the operationalization of Sector 4 to cover the gap between Southern Borno and Northern Adamawa, alongside the induction of Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters, the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Regiment and the enhancement of the Military Command and Control Centre, have laid a solid foundation for lasting peace and economic recovery in the North-East.
While congratulating Major General Abubakar on his successful tour of duty, Dr. Charles noted that the achievements were a product of collective sacrifice by gallant officers and men, some of whom paid the supreme price, and the synergy among the Armed Forces, other security agencies, the Borno State Government, humanitarian partners, traditional and religious leaders and the media.
Dr. Charles described Major General Abubakar as a professional, courageous and people-centred officer whose leadership has restored hope and confidence, and wished him greater successes in his future assignments, while also expressing confidence that his successor, Major General Ibikunle Ajose, will consolidate and build upon the gains recorded.
For a man who kept vigil while others slept, the ovation in Maiduguri was indeed a fitting farewell, Dr. Charles added.
Signed:
Dr. Williams Charles
Public Affairs Analyst and Security Scholar