Chukwu Obinna MAIDUGURI, Nigeria – More than one million displaced households have returned to their ancestral homes across parts of Borno State, following sustained counterinsurgency and stabilisation operations by troops of Operation Hadin Kai, the Nigerian military says.
The Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar, discloses the development on Wednesday while briefing journalists during a Defence Headquarters–organised media tour in Maiduguri.
“Stabilisation operations are carried out to create an enabling environment for socio-economic activities to return,” he says. “This allows citizens to go back to their ancestral homes and resume normal livelihoods.”
He lists Malam Fatori, Kekeno, Mala Jamel and Yelwa among successfully resettled areas, noting that Malam Fatori alone accounts for phased resettlement of over one million households.
According to him, Kukawa, once deserted at the height of the insurgency, is now a thriving town with visible economic activities, while Kekeno has also been fully resettled. Ongoing operations in Meirari, about 30 kilometres from Monguno, are nearing completion.
“With the support of the Borno State Government, we are almost 80 per cent done in stabilising targeted areas,” Abubakar says.
Beyond civilian return, the military reports progress in rebuilding critical infrastructure, including a Forward Operating Base and the reconstruction of the Duji Bridge, destroyed more than a decade ago. Duji, a strategic border community linking Nigeria to Niger Republic, is gradually reopening, with plans to restore immigration and customs services.
However, Abubakar warns that Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) remain a major threat, especially along poor road networks such as the Gubio–Damasak route.
“When roads are bad, terrorists exploit them to plant IEDs,” he says, adding that rehabilitation of key supply routes is underway.
The military expresses confidence that continued operations will consolidate peace and enable the return of more displaced families across Nigeria’s North-East.
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