By Joy Odor
Under the floodlights of Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, drums rolled, uniforms gleamed and cultures converged but beneath the pageantry was a hard, unmistakable message: the Nigerian military is tightening the noose on insurgency in the North-East.
At the Combined West African Social Activity (WASA) 2025, co-hosted by the Headquarters Theatre Command, Operation HADIN KAI, and Headquarters 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, the Theatre Commander, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, used the ceremonial platform to deliver a forceful recommitment to ending terrorism in the region.
“This is not just a celebration,” Abubakar said. “It is a moment of reckoning.”
Speaking on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at the 212 Parade Ground, the Theatre Commander reaffirmed that Operation HADIN KAI would intensify its offensive to dismantle the remaining cells of terrorist groups across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
WASA, he explained, is one of the Nigerian Army’s most enduring traditions, an annual pause that blends culture, camaraderie and reflection.
But this year’s edition carried heavier symbolism: it marked the close of 2025, a year the military says delivered measurable gains in restoring law and order across the North-East.
According to Abubakar, the relative calm now enjoyed in many once-volatile communities did not come by chance.
It was, he said, “the direct outcome of discipline, resilience and sacrifice by troops operating under the Command Philosophy of the Chief of Army Staff.”
He paid tribute to the Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; and the Service Chiefs, citing improved logistics, stronger welfare packages and clearer strategic direction as force multipliers in the campaign.
“Our task is unfinished,” the Theatre Commander warned. “But our resolve is absolute.”
The Borno State Government echoed that resolve. Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Honourable Bukar Tijjani, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum praised the Nigerian Army’s sustained presence and sacrifice, describing security as the bedrock upon which recovery and development in the state depend.
The government, he assured, would continue to work hand-in-hand with Operation HADIN KAI to secure lasting peace.
In an emotional moment, the governor’s message extended to the families of fallen soldiers men and women he described as patriots who paid the ultimate price for Nigeria’s sovereignty.
He also offered prayers for wounded personnel still recovering from the scars of battle.
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander Sector 1 OPHK, Brigadier General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, delivered a vote of thanks that underscored the collaborative nature of the fight.
He commended the Borno State Government for its “sense of ownership” of security efforts and acknowledged the contributions of sister security agencies and other stakeholders operating in the joint theatre.
As dusk deepened, the ceremony unfolded in colour and competition: cultural performances from across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, a spirited tug-of-war between the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force, comedy skits, awards for outstanding soldiers, a suya contest and the exchange of souvenirs.
The night culminated in the beating of the retreat and the symbolic lighting of the bonfire, a ritual signifying closure, renewal and vigilance.
Beyond the spectacle, the message was clear.
From Maiduguri’s parade ground came a battlefield promise: the war against insurgency is entering a decisive phase, and the Nigerian Army intends to see it through to the end.
