Nigeria has appointed a new commander to oversee military operations against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the country’s northeast, the army said on Wednesday.
Major General Ibikunle Ademola Ajose will take command of Operation Hadin Kai, replacing Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, who had led the mission since April 2025.
Ajose previously served at Army Headquarters in Abuja and becomes the latest officer tasked with leading Nigeria’s long-running campaign against Islamist insurgents in the northeast.
The leadership change comes as Nigeria prepares for presidential elections in January, with insecurity expected to remain a major issue for voters following years of insurgent attacks, kidnappings and armed banditry across several regions.
Boko Haram and its ISWAP splinter faction have waged an insurgency since 2009 that has killed more than 40,000 people and forced millions from their homes, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
Security problems disrupted voting in parts of northeastern Nigeria during the previous presidential election and remain a concern ahead of next year’s polls.
The Nigerian army did not connect the command change to any specific recent attack. Army spokesperson Appolonia Anele said it formed part of a broader reshuffle involving 14 other generals.
The changes are intended to improve operational effectiveness, strengthen military leadership and adapt command structures to Nigeria’s changing security challenges, Anele said.
