Mohamed Garba
Nigeria’s Armed Forces have killed 6,260 terrorists and rescued 5,365 kidnapped victims in the past two years during nationwide operations, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said on Thursday.
The figures were disclosed by the Deputy Director of Defence Media Operations, Brigadier-General Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, during an expanded media parley held in Abuja to mark two years in office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, and other service chiefs.
Abu-Mawashi said the military also arrested 14,138 terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements during coordinated operations spanning every region of the country. He described the last two years as “intensive, people-focused, and results-driven,” with sweeping offensives against insurgency, oil theft, banditry, and separatist violence.
In the Niger Delta region, troops under Operation Delta Safe recovered stolen crude oil valued at over ₦83 billion, killed 103 oil thieves and other criminals, arrested 2,760 suspects, and freed 266 kidnap victims.
In the insurgency-ravaged North-East, under Operation Hadin Kai, 1,246 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters were eliminated while 2,467 were arrested. Troops rescued 1,920 civilians and seized 982 firearms and over 2,100 rounds of ammunition.
The North-West witnessed some of the deadliest confrontations. Under Operation Fagge Yamma, 1,374 bandits — including key commanders — were killed, 2,160 arrested, and 3,288 kidnapped victims freed across Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, and Sokoto States.
In the North-Central zone, 730 terrorists and violent extremists were neutralized, while 7,153 were arrested. Troops rescued 1,510 civilians and recovered more than 1,000 weapons and nearly 20,000 rounds of ammunition.
Operations in the South-East under Operation UDO KA saw 440 terrorists killed and 1,677 criminals arrested. The military also rescued 294 people and seized 683 weapons and over 21,000 rounds of ammunition.
In the South-West, the Joint Task Force killed 80 criminals, arrested 1,763, and rescued 89 hostages. Over 143 weapons and nearly 178,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered in the region — the highest volume of ammunition seized nationwide.
Speaking at the event, Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau said the briefing reflected the military’s commitment to transparency and its “people-first” approach under General Musa’s leadership.
“This marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to tackle Nigeria’s complex security environment,” Gusau said. “We will continue to ensure that citizens are well informed about the achievements and sacrifices of their armed forces.”
The parley brought together senior military officers and media executives in what officials described as an effort to build greater trust and cooperation between the military and the public.
