The Coalition for Change has reported that Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) no longer hold significant territory in Nigeria's North-East, following an independent assessment tour of all six states in the zone. The group's executive director, Dr Emmanuel Agabi, presented the findings at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, October 16, saying the tour covered Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi and Taraba states.
Assessment Tour and Key Findings
The purpose of the tour, according to a statement sent to Legit.ng, was to get a direct, independent view of the security situation by engaging both troops and civilian communities. The coalition commended Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede and Nigerian troops for measurable progress in restoring peace across the region.
"The Coalition is satisfied that the Nigerian Armed Forces, under the strategic leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, have substantially degraded the operational capacity of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province in the North East," the report said. "The groups no longer hold significant territory. Their ability to mount large-scale, coordinated attacks has been severely reduced."
Signs of Recovery Across the North-East
The report documented several visible markers of normalcy returning to communities that spent years under insurgency. More than 7,000 displaced families have gone back to their ancestral homes across Borno State, and over 3,000 Nigerians have been voluntarily repatriated from Cameroon. Trade routes have reopened, WAEC and NECO examinations are again being held in towns like Banki and Gwoza, and the National Youth Service Corps orientation scheme has returned to Maiduguri after more than 13 years, the coalition said.
The coalition's report credited Operation HADIN KAI, run by the Joint Task Force (North East) and headquartered at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, as the principal military effort behind the gains. Complementary operations, Explosive Ordnance Disposal work, Quick Reaction Force deployments, and the non-kinetic Operation Safe Corridor all contributed to the outcomes. Hundreds of weapons and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition have been recovered, while hundreds of improvised explosive devices have been safely destroyed.
Calls to Consolidate Gains
Despite the progress, the report cautioned that isolated remnants of the groups remain active in remote forested and mountainous areas, particularly around the Sambisa axis and the Lake Chad fringes, though it described these elements as no longer posing an existential threat.
Traditional rulers, community leaders, returned displaced persons, traders, and farmers all expressed appreciation for the security improvements during the tour. They urged the government to follow through with roads, schools, clinics, clean water, electricity, markets, and youth empowerment programmes, arguing that tackling the conditions that once drove young people towards extremism was essential to long-term stability.
The coalition praised General Oluyede for strengthening inter-service coordination, prioritising intelligence-led operations, and sustaining operational tempo. It also recognised the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, intelligence agencies, and the Civilian Joint Task Force for their roles. The group urged the armed forces to maintain their current course, particularly the improvements in troop welfare, training, and the inter-service cooperation that has defined recent operations.
Related Incident: ISWAP Attack in Kukawa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) killed 25 ISWAP fighters who launched a night-time assault on Kukawa town in Borno state, the Defence Headquarters announced at the weekend. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, said the attack began on the night of October 6 and that soldiers, backed by the Nigerian Air Force, fought off the militants in a gun battle that stretched into the morning of October 7, 2026.
