The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria neutralised 324 terrorists and other criminals, arrested 373 suspects and rescued 610 kidnap victims across the country in August 2026.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Monday at the monthly press briefing on ongoing military operations held at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
Onoja said the military also recovered 88 arms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition during the month, while 201 terrorists surrendered to troops amid sustained pressure on terrorist and criminal groups across the country.
According to him, troops operating under Operation Hadin Kai in the North-east neutralised 114 terrorists, arrested 146 and rescued 60 kidnap victims. The theatre also recorded the surrender of 201 terrorists and their family members, while troops disrupted terrorist logistics and supply networks.
In the North-west, Operation Fansan Yamma troops neutralised 190 terrorists, arrested 47 and rescued 126 kidnap victims during the period. Troops also intercepted arms, explosives and logistics supplies linked to terrorist networks operating across the region.
Onoja further disclosed that Operation Savannah Shield in the North-central rescued 329 kidnap victims, while other military operations across the region continued to disrupt terrorist, kidnapping and arms-trafficking networks.
In the South-south, troops intensified operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining, dismantling 21 illegal refining sites and recovering large quantities of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products. Meanwhile, Operation UDO KA in the South-east recorded arrests, rescues and the disruption of secessionist and criminal networks.
The DDMO said the August figures reflected sustained military pressure through coordinated land, air and maritime operations, intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies. He added that the Armed Forces would maintain the current operational tempo to protect lives and property and deny terrorists and criminal elements freedom of action.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, commended troops and other security agencies for their sacrifices and urged Nigerians to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies to support ongoing operations.