Esther Oseyiomon
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has disclosed that troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) neutralised no fewer than 662 terrorists and other criminal elements across various theatres of operation nationwide during the second quarter of 2026, while 951 kidnapped civilians were rescued.
The military also announced the arrest of 1,084 terrorist and criminal suspects, the surrender of 39 insurgents and their families, the recovery of 328 arms and 12,590 rounds of ammunition, as well as the dismantling of 12 illegal refining sites and recovery of over 464,268 litres of stolen petroleum products.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this during a combined Defence Headquarters monthly and second quarter media briefing in Abuja.
According to him, the achievements were recorded through sustained joint operations involving land forces, air support, intelligence-led engagements and coordinated interdiction activities across the country.
He stated that operations targeted Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the North-east, armed groups and kidnappers in the North-west and North-central, oil theft syndicates in the South-south, and members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), in the South-east.
Providing a breakdown of operations in the North-east under Operation Hadin Kai, Onoja said troops neutralised 484 terrorist fighters during the quarter, arrested 370 suspects and rescued 595 kidnapped victims.
He described as one of the quarter’s landmark operations a military raid conducted on June 6 in the Mandara Mountains area of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, where troops rescued 360 civilians, mostly women and children, who had reportedly been held captive since March.
The military also reported that troops responded to a terrorist attack and student abduction in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on June 29, rescuing seven schoolchildren and a teacher after engaging the attackers.
In the North-west, troops under Operation Fansan Yamma neutralised 77 terrorist fighters, arrested 210 suspects and rescued 153 kidnapped victims, while operations across the North-central region under Operations Savannah Shield, Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke resulted in additional arrests, weapons recoveries and the rescue of dozens of abducted persons.
The military further disclosed that troops operating in the South-south intensified action against crude oil theft and economic sabotage, recovering hundreds of thousands of litres of petroleum products and dismantling illegal refining infrastructure.
In the South-east, Operation UDO KA recorded what the military described as major breakthroughs against IPOB/ESN networks through arrests, raids and arms recoveries across affected states.
The Nigerian Air Force also conducted several air interdiction missions in support of ground troops, including operations in Kaduna and Niger states, where suspected terrorist hideouts and logistics routes were targeted.
Commending troops for their performance, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede, reaffirmed the military’s commitment to sustaining offensive operations until security is restored across the country.
He also urged Nigerians to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information, stressing that national security remains a collective responsibility.