The Nigerian Army has recorded significant operational successes from July to the first week of September, with troops involved in rescue operations, arrests, patrols, ambushes and weapons recovery across multiple theatres. The period includes the rescue of 11 kidnapped persons and arrest of 21 suspects in July; 308 people rescued in a joint operation around Kainji Lake National Park; 21 abducted persons rescued in Kogi on August 31; and 25 more victims rescued in Katsina and Zamfara. Troops also recovered an RPG launcher, an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and 793 rounds of ammunition intercepted in Kaduna, as operations against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping continued nationwide. Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that this is in tandem with the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu’s P.R.O.S.E operational framework
Since taking over as Chief of Army Staff in October 2025, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu has made operational readiness, professionalism, innovation and joint operations central to his command philosophy.
Months down the line, these key derivatives on intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, as well as cooperation with other security agencies, has played central figures in responding to Nigeria’s changing security environment.
Which is why the operations carried out by the Nigerian Army, recorded specifically from July into the first week of September provide an early indication of how those priorities are being translated into activities by formations and units in the field.
Taken in a wider context, the NA, alongside other security agencies, conducted 7,062 operations nationwide in July and August, neutralised 1,487 terrorists and insurgents, arrested 354 suspects and rescued 777 kidnapped victims.
Rescue Operations Across Theatres
Across different theatres of operations, the NA troops carried out rescues with the most notable being the rescue of 21 abducted persons in Kogi State on August 31, including 15 National Youth Service Corps members who were abducted while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State.
The victims were rescued from the Egume and Ochaja forest areas of Dekina Local Government Area after troops of the Nigerian Army’s 12 Brigade joined other security agencies, hunters and vigilante groups in a search operation. In all, 21 victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued.
The Kogi operation was one of several rescue and security operations conducted by the Army and other security actors during the period. Between July 21 and 22, operations under Operation HADIN KAI, Operation FANSAN YAMMA and Operation MESA led to the rescue of 11 kidnapped persons and the arrest of 21 suspected terrorists, collaborators, logistics suppliers and drug peddlers.
Troops also discovered and destroyed improvised explosive devices during the operations, which covered Borno, Zamfara and Kogi states.
By August, the scale of some rescue operations had increased as a joint security operation in the Kainji Lake National Park area resulted in the rescue of 308 people. The operation involved multiple security actors and therefore cannot be attributed to the Nigerian Army alone.
The victims included 163 people abducted from Woro community in Kwara State and 145 others from Niger State. The operation highlighted the scale of kidnapping around forest and rural corridors linking parts of Kwara and Niger states, where security forces have had to conduct patrols over long distances and respond to intelligence on kidnapping gangs and other armed groups.
Notably, Kogi provided another test of rapid response as on September 2, two women were reportedly abducted from a farm in Ajodomodo Village in Dekina Local Government Area. Troops of the 21 Battalion Quick Reaction Force responded to a distress call and pursued the kidnappers towards Agbodakodo Forest. The pursuit forced the abductors to abandon the victims.
The women—a 15-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman—were subsequently rescued and taken to the 21 Battalion Medical Reception Station for medical attention.
The two incidents within days of each other placed the response capabilities of troops in the area under pressure, with 12 Brigade and other Army units under 2 Division continuing to form part of the security response to kidnapping and other threats affecting Kogi and adjoining states.
Sustained Operations In The North-West.
The same operational priorities have been reflected in the North-West, where troops have continued operations against terrorists and bandits across Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states.
On September 4, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA rescued 25 kidnapped persons during separate operations in Katsina and Zamfara.
Two victims were rescued during a night patrol along the Kwanar Kura axis of Sabuwa Local Government Area in Katsina State after troops engaged fleeing terrorists.
In Zamfara, troops of Sector 2 rescued 23 civilians—three males and 20 females—during a fighting patrol on the outskirts of Wuya town in Anka Local Government Area.
Preliminary information indicated that the victims had been abducted from Gummi Local Government Area and had spent about three weeks in captivity. They were evacuated for medical attention and further debriefing.
The operations reflect the continued use of patrols, fighting patrols, engagements and intelligence-based responses against armed groups operating in the region.
Weapons Recovery and Disruption
The Nigerian Army’s recent operations have also focused on the weapons and logistics supporting terrorist and bandit activities.
During an ambush along the Kwanar Jolof axis of Shinkafi-Zurmi in Zamfara, troops engaged terrorists and recovered an RPG launcher, an AK-47 rifle, magazines and ammunition.
In another operation in Kaduna State, troops intercepted a vehicle carrying 793 rounds of ammunition concealed in a sack of grain. The operation was aimed at disrupting the movement of weapons to criminal elements.
Other recent operations in the North-West also resulted in the recovery of weapons, ammunition and motorcycles from terrorists. The seizures form part of efforts to restrict the movement of arms and ammunition to armed groups operating across the region.
The Wider Picture
Army formations remain engaged in several major security theatres. In the North-East, troops continue counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP. In the North-West and North-Central, formations are conducting operations against banditry and kidnapping, while other Army units remain involved in security operations in the South-East and other parts of the country.
P.R.O.S.E and the Field Results
The pattern of operations from July into the first week of September provides a basis for examining the application of the COAS’ strategic framework.
From the rescue of 21 people in Kogi on August 31, to the recovery of an RPG launcher, AK-47 rifle and ammunition in Zamfara, the interception of 793 rounds of ammunition in Kaduna, and the rescue of 25 kidnapped persons in Katsina and Zamfara on September 4, the operations have continued into the first week of September.
In the North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA has combined patrols, ambushes, fighting patrols, intelligence-led operations and weapons recovery against terrorist and bandit groups.
Essentially, these activities correspond with key elements of Lieutenant General Shaibu’s P.R.O.S.E framework- Professional Excellence, Operational Readiness and Strategic Cooperation and Exemplary Leadership.
Taken together, the activities provide an early operational record against which the priorities set out in Shaibu’s command philosophy can be assessed, with troops continuing to conduct rescue operations, patrols, arrests, engagements and weapons recovery across multiple theatres.