Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigerian military has said troops across all theatres of operation killed 554 terrorists and other criminals, apprehended 1,333 of them alive, and rescued no fewer than 1,736 kidnapped civilians in the third quarter of 2026.
The military also revealed that 333 terrorists surrendered to troops, while 244 arms and 8,160 rounds of ammunition were recovered.
Addressing a press conference on the operational achievements of personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies in the third quarter of 2026, the Director of Defence Military Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the troops dismantled 104 illegal refining sites and recovered 1,610,402 litres of stolen petroleum products, representing a significant degradation of criminal and terrorist operational capacity nationwide.
Major General Onoja said: “During the period under review, the AFN recorded a total of 367 attacks across various theatres of operation. Operation Hadin Kai recorded 33 attacks; Operation Fansan Yamma recorded 115; Operation Savannah Shield recorded 13; Operation Enduring Peace recorded 147; Operation Whirl Stroke recorded 55, and Operation Udo Ka (OPUK) recorded four, while Operation Delta Safe recorded no attacks.”
Troops, he said, responded decisively to these incidents, swiftly engaging the assailants with superior firepower and tactical manoeuvring, and successfully countering the attacks.
Onoja said the third-quarter of 2026 data showed significant month-to-month fluctuations in operational outcomes.
“From July to August, bandits/criminals killed increased by 171.9 per cent, while arrests declined slightly by 4.2 per cent; civilians rescued by 51.4 per cent, surrendered terrorists by 252.6 per cent, arms recovered by 28.6 per cent, ammunition recovered by 12.5 per cent, and crude oil recovered by 11.0 per cent.
“These changes reflect the intensity and nature of operational engagements during August. From August to September, most indicators declined from their August peaks, including 85.8 per cent in bandits/criminals killed, 28.3 per cent in arrests, 10.8 per cent in civilians rescued, 62.7 per cent in surrenders, 51.9 per cent in arms recovered, 24.3 per cent in ammunition recovered and 55.6 per cent in crude oil recovered.
“However, the September figures still demonstrate sustained operational activity, with 581 civilians rescued, 345 arrests, 75 surrenders, 52 arms and 2,335 rounds of ammunition recovered, alongside continued efforts to protect national economic resources,” he said.
The director concluded that the variations reflected the changing operational environment, while troops maintained their commitment to national security throughout the period.