More Than 1,000 Terrorists Killed and 777 Kidnap Victims Rescued in Two Months, Military Says

Nigeria’s military says it killed 1,487 terrorists and insurgents and rescued 777 kidnapped people during two months of nationwide operations. It also said troops arrested 354 suspected abductors.

Defence spokesperson Samaila Uba announced the figures Tuesday at a security briefing at the National Counter Terrorism Centre. He said troops carried out 7,062 operations in July and August across Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo and Kaduna states, among others.

The campaign combined land, air and maritime forces in clearance operations, intelligence-led raids, rescue missions and targeted arrests. The military said the operations addressed terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, attacks on communities, arms trafficking, oil theft and other crimes.

Uba said troops “neutralised” 309 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters in counterterrorism operations and recovered 44 improvised explosive devices. Across all operations, troops recovered 991 firearms and 1,331 rounds of ammunition. Several terrorist bases were dismantled, while weapons, motorcycles and livestock were also recovered.

The military reported that 93 security personnel and 249 civilians were killed during the period. It said no major border or transnational security incidents, prison breaks or attacks on critical infrastructure, including pipelines, railways and highways, were recorded.

Alongside combat operations, the military held nine dialogue and peace-building initiatives and 15 meetings with traditional and religious leaders. It issued 137 press statements and said it identified and countered 13 cases of misinformation. Uba attributed the reported gains to joint operations, cooperation among agencies and community support, and urged Nigerians to provide timely intelligence.

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In total, 7,062 security operations were conducted. A total of 1,487 terrorists and insurgents were neutralised, 354 suspects were arrested, while 777 kidnapped victims were successfully rescued.