Olufemi Oluyede, chief of defence staff (CDS), has urged residents of Borno and Yobe states to take ownership of the fight against terrorism.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, Oluyede spoke after a high-level security meeting in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
The publication quoted the CDS as saying that insurgency in the north-east is being sustained, in part, by individuals sometimes embedded within affected communities.
The meeting, which lasted about four hours, brought together top military commanders, including Waidi Shuaibu, chief of army staff (COAS); Abdulsalam Abubakar, theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai; and other senior officials.
According to Oluyede, intelligence reports indicate that many of those responsible for attacks over the past 15 years originate from the same communities bearing the brunt of the violence.
Makama reported that the defence chief cited a recent example in Kukawa, where troops discovered wounded terrorists hiding within the community during post-attack clearance operations.
The CDS also acknowledged the evolving tactics of insurgents, particularly the increasing use of drones and other technology in attacks.
He disclosed that the military is adapting, including the deployment of advanced drone systems to enhance surveillance, targeting, and battlefield coordination.
