The Chief of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, informed troops on Friday that the “next phase of operations” against the insurgent groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) would be “decisive.”
This announcement came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly threatened “possible military action” if Nigeria failed to halt violence against Christians.
Addressing soldiers under Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri, Lt. Gen. Shaibu declared that the military was entering a “critical stage of the campaign” and that “failure is not an option.”
He stressed the new approach: “You have been training to defeat the terrorists disturbing the North-East. This time, you are going to do it differently.”
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To ensure success, he confirmed that “All combat enablers have been provided. New platforms have been introduced, all to ensure that you succeed.”
Shaibu emphasized that the responsibility for delivering a “decisive blow to the extremist groups” now rests with a “new generation of soldiers,” stating they must “surpass the achievements of earlier forces who fought in previous domestic and international operations.”
The warning coincides with security analysts reporting a shift in the conflict, noting that while Boko Haram and ISWAP “have been weakened,” they are “exploiting border gaps, harsh terrain and the Lake Chad basin to regroup.”
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Analysts also noted that global geopolitical tensions, “foreign extremist propaganda and disrupted arms trafficking routes could create openings for renewed militant activity.”
Shaibu confirmed that “experienced officers have been deployed to the theatre alongside upgraded equipment,” suggesting an “expanded use of surveillance systems, mobility assets and precision-strike capabilities.”
For many soldiers, some of whom “have lost colleagues in the region’s difficult terrain,” the message was direct: “Those before you have done it. This is your own time.”
In an “unusual departure from military formality,” the army chief also spent time addressing “troop welfare, which he described as essential to morale and performance on the front lines.”
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