FG names new commander to lead military operations against Boko Haram
- Nigeria replaced the head of Operation Hadin Kai less than two years after his appointment, naming a new general to lead the northeast offensive
- The reshuffle came as part of a broader shake-up involving 14 other generals, according to an army spokesperson
- The change arrives ahead of the 2027 presidential elections, with insecurity still a serious concern in northeastern Nigeria
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Nigeria has appointed Major General Ibikunle Ademola Ajose as the new commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the military campaign targeting Boko Haram and its Islamic State-backed splinter group in the northeast.
An army spokesperson, Appolonia Anele, confirmed the development on Wednesday in an official statement. Ajose, who previously served at the Army Headquarters in Abuja, replaces Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, who had held the position since April 2025, making his tenure less than two years.
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According to Reuters, Abubakar was the 15th commander of the operation.
Wider military shake-up
The reshuffle is not an isolated change. Anele said the replacement of Abubakar forms part of a broader reorganisation involving 14 other generals. The army said the exercise was designed to boost operational effectiveness, strengthen leadership, and better align command structures with Nigeria's shifting security environment.
No connection was drawn by the army between the command change and any particular recent attacks in the northeast.
Security challenges ahead of 2027 elections
The appointment comes as Nigeria prepares for presidential elections scheduled for early 2027, with insecurity high on the list of national concerns. During the last presidential election, security threats disrupted voting in several parts of the northeast, and similar risks remain a challenge for the upcoming polls.
Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have been waging an insurgency since 2009 that, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), has killed more than 40,000 people and forced millions from their homes across the Lake Chad basin region.
Beyond the northeast, the country continues to grapple with banditry and widespread kidnappings in other parts of Nigeria, further complicating the security picture ahead of next year's general elections.
Source: Legit.ng
