THE sun had barely crested the horizon over Borno State when the call came through. Intelligence reports crackled over military radios: Boko Haram terrorists were moving along the Buratai – Kamuya Road, and they weren’t alone. Dozens of kidnapped civilians, men, women, and children, were being dragged deeper into the nightmare that has gripped northeastern Nigeria for years.
For the soldiers of the 135 Special Forces Battalion under Operation HADIN KAI, this was not just another mission. This was a race against time, a chance to bring families back together, to restore hope where terror had tried to extinguish it.
On November 9, 2025, as the terrorists moved their captives through the scrubland, they had no idea they were walking into a carefully laid trap. Nigerian troops, acting on precise intelligence, had positioned themselves at Dutse Kura, ready to strike.
When the moment came, it was swift and decisive. The element of surprise shattered the terrorists’ confidence. Gunfire erupted across the landscape as the soldiers engaged the insurgents with professional precision. The terrorists, caught off guard and outmatched, scrambled in retreat toward Mangari, their convoy in disarray.
But the troops weren’t finished. They pursued relentlessly, determined not to let a single terrorist slip away with their human cargo. In the fierce firefight that followed, the insurgents were overwhelmed. Faced with the superior training and resolve of Nigeria’s finest, they did what cowards do best—they abandoned their victims and fled into the wilderness.
As the gunfire subsided and dust settled over the battlefield, the true scale of the victory became clear. Eighty-six people- eighty-six fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters – stood free for the first time in what must have felt like an eternity.
Among them were women in hijabs, mothers clutching their children, men whose faces bore the weight of captivity but now flickered with the first light of hope. These were Muslims kidnapped by those who falsely claimed to act in the name of Islam. These were Nigerians stolen from their communities by terrorists who know no religion but violence, no creed but chaos.
The soldiers moved quickly to secure the area, sweeping through eleven makeshift terrorist camps hidden in the terrain. Each hideout told a story of suffering, but now they would tell a different story – one of liberation. The camps were systematically demolished, ensuring they could never again serve as staging grounds for terror.
The haul was significant: an AK-47 rifle, five magazines loaded with 73 rounds of ammunition, PKT belts, motorcycles, tricycles, and several civilian vehicles that had been stolen in previous raids. Every weapon recovered was one less tool of terror. Every vehicle returned was a small victory for justice.
Cutting the Lifeline: 29 Suppliers Arrested
While the rescue unfolded, another critical operation was taking place nearby. At Mangada, troops intercepted a convoy that represented the invisible backbone of terrorist operations—the logistics suppliers.
Twenty-nine individuals were arrested as they attempted to transport essential supplies to terrorist camps in Chilaria. The seized cargo painted a stark picture of the support network that keeps terror alive: two pickup vans, a tricycle, one thousand litres of petrol, medical supplies, gun truck tyres, and food provisions.
These weren’t fighters, but without them, fighters cannot fight. By severing this lifeline, the troops dealt a blow that would echo through terrorist networks far beyond Borno State. Hungry, unequipped, and isolated, the remaining terrorists would find their operations significantly hampered.
A Mission Without Loss
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of these operations was what didn’t happen: not a single Nigerian soldier was killed or wounded. This wasn’t luck – it was the result of rigorous training, careful planning, superior intelligence, and the professionalism that defines Nigeria’s Special Forces.
The Military High Command was quick to commend the troops for their gallantry and effectiveness. In a statement issued by Media Information Officer Sani Uba, the leadership praised the soldiers’ professionalism and urged them to maintain relentless pressure on terrorist elements, ensuring they are denied any freedom of action in the Northeast.
More Than a Military Victory
But beyond the tactical success, beyond the weapons seized and camps destroyed, lies the human story that matters most. Eighty-six people went to sleep on November 8th as captives of terror. They woke on November 10th as free citizens of Nigeria, returned to the embrace of a nation that refused to abandon them.
For their families, the nightmare is over. For the communities they return to, it is proof that hope is not a foolish thing to hold onto. For every Nigerian watching from across the country, it is a reminder that the men and women in uniform are fighting not for glory or recognition, but for the fundamental right of every citizen to live without fear.
The Faces Behind the Hijabs
The image of rescued women in hijabs carries profound significance. It demolishes the poisonous lie that terrorists like Boko Haram represent Islam or Muslims. These women were not rescued from some foreign enemy – they were rescued from terrorists who kidnapped their own Muslim brothers and sisters.
Boko Haram and ISWAP do not discriminate in their violence. They have killed more Muslims than anyone else. They have destroyed more mosques than churches. They have orphaned more Muslim children than can be counted. The terrorists’ true religion is power through fear, and their congregation includes no one but themselves.
Every rescued victim is a testament to this truth. Every demolished terrorist camp is another chapter closed in a dark period of Nigeria’s history.
The Long Road Ahead
The fight is far from over. As long as a single terrorist remains capable of threatening Nigerian lives, the mission continues. But operations like this one in Borno State prove that progress is not only possible – it is happening.
The 135 Special Forces Battalion and all troops under Operation HADIN KAI have sent a clear message: there is no road too dangerous, no hideout too remote, no terrorist camp too well-hidden. Nigerian forces will find them. They will pursue them. And they will bring our people home.
