The outgoing General Officer Commanding 8 Division, Major General Ibikunle Ajose, has listed the rescue of more than 1,000 kidnap victims as a major operational success during his 18-month tenure, alongside the recovery of weapons and the disruption of bandit networks across the North-West.
Speaking at his farewell ceremony on Friday in Sokoto, Ajose said the feat was achieved under Sector 2 of Operation Fasan Yamma, noting that sustained pressure on criminal enclaves enabled displaced residents to return to abandoned communities and farmlands during the last farming season.
โIn 2025 alone, we recovered over 200 weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and rescued more than 1,000 victims,โ he said.
He described the operations as pivotal in restoring civilian confidence.
Ajose also highlighted welfare reforms as key achievements under his stewardship.
He noted that with support from the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Army Staff, โThe Division renovated living quarters, constructed new ones, and restored Giginya Cantonmentโs waterworks for the first time in nearly two decades.
โMedical facilities received 24-hour power, free maternal care for soldiersโ families, and ambulance services, while wounded troops underwent surgeries at no cost.โ
He added that civilian medical professionals from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital โsignificantly lifted healthcare standardsโ within the barracks.
โSchools, employment opportunities, worship centres, and security infrastructure were similarly enhanced.โ
The incoming GOC, Major General Bemgha Koughna, praised Ajoseโs performance, describing 8 Division as a โshining exampleโ in operational assessments.
PUNCH Online reports that Ajose has been redeployed to Abuja for his next assignment and urged troops to extend even greater support to his successor.
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