By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
In a conflict long shaped by secrecy, suspicion and misinformation, Nigeria’s military this week made a deliberate choice: open the theatre of war to scrutiny.
For three days, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), through the Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), led a high-level Defence Media Assessment Team on an on-ground tour of Operation HADIN KAI, the Joint Task Force responsible for counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
The mission was not ceremonial. Senior defence correspondents and media professionals were invited to independently assess the durability of peace in stabilised communities, evaluate ongoing military operations, and examine how security gains are translating into development, humanitarian access and civilian confidence.
At the Theatre Headquarters in Maiduguri, the Theatre Commander, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, framed the tour as part of a broader strategic shift, one that treats information as a battlefield and trust as an operational asset.
“Our operations are no longer purely kinetic,” Abubakar told the delegation. “We are pursuing a comprehensive, people-centred approach that integrates security, development and strategic communication.”
Abubakar pointed to the strategic direction of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, noting that the Service Chiefs have prioritised openness, inclusivity and stronger engagement with the media across all theatres of operation.
In asymmetric warfare, he said, the battle for public confidence can be as decisive as the fight on the ground.
“The timely dissemination of verified information is critical in today’s security environment,” the Theatre Commander said, urging journalists to sustain balanced, responsible and credible reportage capable of countering disinformation and strengthening national morale.
He briefed the team on operational gains recorded across several communities, citing sustained military pressure that has reduced insurgent capacity, improved civilian safety and reopened space for socio-economic activities.
According to him, enhanced security has also allowed humanitarian organisations and non-governmental agencies to operate more freely in previously contested areas.
Earlier, the leader of the Defence Media Assessment Team, Group Captain Ibrahim Bukar, described the tour as evidence of an evolving military culture anchored on transparency and accountability.
He commended the CDS for fostering what he called an “open-door leadership style” and strengthening civil-military-media relations at a time when public trust is central to national security.
“Strategic communication is a force multiplier,” Bukar said. “National security is a shared responsibility, and the media plays a critical role in shaping understanding, confidence and cohesion.”
He also paid tribute to troops of Operation HADIN KAI, praising their resilience and sacrifices, while thanking Major General Abubakar for the comprehensive operational briefing and access granted to the delegation.
From briefings to battle lines
The tour moved beyond conference rooms.
Journalists were taken to key operational locations, including the Joint Investigation Centre, Forward Operating Base (FOB) Tunkushe and FOB Molai.
At each stop, the team conducted first-hand assessments of ongoing operations, troop welfare, civil-military engagements and post-conflict stabilisation efforts.
For many of the correspondents, the visits offered rare, unfiltered insight into how counter-insurgency operations are being recalibrated, from hard security to stabilisation, from clearance operations to community trust-building.
The visit concluded with the exchange of souvenirs and a group photograph, a symbolic close to a tour that underscored a shifting doctrine: one where accountability, openness and narrative control are increasingly viewed as integral to battlefield success.
As Operation HADIN KAI continues to press insurgent remnants while supporting civilian recovery, the military’s decision to invite scrutiny may prove as strategic as any deployment signalling that in Nigeria’s evolving security landscape, credibility itself has become a weapon.
