• Centre reviews counter-terrorism document
Scores of Boko Haram terrorists have been killed by troops of the North-East Joint Task Force’s Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in a failed Improvised Explosive Device (IED) ambush along the Maiduguri-Kareto-Damasak federal highway in Borno State.
Sources said the incident took place on Monday.
The development is coming at a time when the Emir of Gwoza, Mohammed Shehu Timta, has insisted that it was Kirawa that was attacked by terrorists last Saturday.
Recall that reports had filtered in within the week that troops in Kirawa were among the victims of the incident, but it was later learnt that the personnel were Cameroonian soldiers, including the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), and not Nigerian troops as insinuated.
According to a reliable security source who is not authorised to talk to the press, “In what could be described as a deadly attempted ambush, scores of Boko Haram terrorists have met their Waterloo in Kareto, following a failed Improvised Explosive Device (IED) ambush on Operation HADIN KAI troops of 145 Battalion Damasak from Sector 3.
“In the failed ambush, the terrorists detonated the IED and followed through with direct fire on troops, who immediately carried out anti-ambush drills and outflanked the terrorists, leading to the neutralisation of scores of the insurgents instantly.”
Theatre Commander of OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, stated: “None of my troops has been attacked in Kirawa as earlier reported,” noting that it was Cameroonian troops that were attacked.
Besides, National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), Major General Adamu Laka, has stated that the draft National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) 2025 emphasises prevention alongside response, strengthens inter-agency coordination, and embeds resilience, inclusivity and community engagement at the core of Nigeria’s security architecture.
He spoke while welcoming participants to the final validation exercise of the draft National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) 2025 in Abuja, yesterday.
Kaka stressed that the several months of rigorous review reflect the seriousness with which critical stakeholders in the nation’s defence and security architecture approach the fight against terrorism in the country.
He encouraged international partners to share insights that would ensure the document aligns with global best practices, including critical but often under-emphasised elements such as counter-narratives and strategic communications.
The validation exercise, Kaka noted, is not simply about reviewing a document, but about endorsing a shared vision that would guide the most populous black nation’s counterterrorism efforts until the next review cycle.
Noting that this is the stage where the strategy must be confirmed as reflecting national priorities while meeting the highest international standards, the national coordinator stated that the policy review represents a reaffirmation of the centre’s whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to counterterrorism.
