At least 958 insurgents and their family members have surrendered to Nigerian troops across the North-East in 2026.
This was disclosed by the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar.
He revealed this on Wednesday while speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, saying the figure adds to a growing trend of mass surrenders recorded in recent years.
Abubakar said that since 2021, a total of 152,864 insurgents and their families have laid down their arms.
He broke down the figure, explaining that 20,815 are active male fighters, 37,095 are women, and 64,114 are children.
“The steady increase in surrender is a direct result of sustained military pressure, degradation of terrorist capabilities, and effective non-kinetic measures,” he said.
He explained that many of those who surrendered cited intense military operations, the breakdown of their command structures, and worsening living conditions as key reasons for giving up.
According to him, all those who surrender undergo thorough screening and interrogation, which helps the military gather useful intelligence for ongoing operations.
“Information obtained from the debriefing of these individuals has significantly enhanced our operational planning and contributed to recent successes in the theatre,” he said.
The commander also praised the Borno State Government’s deradicalisation and reintegration programme, known as the Borno Model, for encouraging more fighters to surrender.
He said the initiative, implemented with support from local and international partners, offers a clear pathway for former insurgents to abandon violence and reintegrate into society.
Abubakar added that working closely with community leaders and humanitarian groups has helped build trust among those willing to surrender.
He stressed that combining military action with non-military strategies remains key to weakening groups such as Boko Haram.
Despite the progress, he warned that the fight is not yet over and called for continued efforts to prevent former fighters from returning to violence.
