By Nkechi Eze
Troops of the 22 Armoured Brigade, Nigerian Army, with massive support from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), have sustained coordinated and aggressive offensive operations against terrorist elements within the Joint Operations Area, recording significant successes across parts of Kwara State between 23 and 29 January 2026.
The operations, conducted under the newly launched Operation Igbo Danu (Operation Forest Flush), are being executed under the leadership of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY), Major General Chinedu Nnebife, in conjunction with the Commander 22 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier General Nicholas Rume.
In an official statement signed by Captain Maureen Ogbuka, for the Acting Deputy Director, 2 Division Army Public Relations, Nigerian Army / Sector 3 Operation FANSAN YAMMA, it was disclosed that the offensive reflects a high level of operational responsiveness and an unwavering determination by troops to dismantle terrorist networks and deny them safe havens within the Division’s Area of Responsibility.
According to the statement, troops, working closely with ONSA operatives, conducted a series of fighting patrols into several terrorist and bandit enclaves, during which they successfully neutralised a terrorist, while others fled into surrounding forests with suspected gunshot wounds. The terrorists’ hideouts and camps were completely destroyed, leaving the criminal elements dislodged and in disarray.
In a related operation, troops cleared Garin Dandi, a notorious bandits’ enclave in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, resulting in the destruction of key logistics bases and the collapse of the bandits’ supply and sustainment system in the area.
The statement further revealed that troops also penetrated remote camps that were previously inaccessible to security forces, where numerous abandoned camps and logistics enablers were discovered and destroyed. This action has significantly degraded the terrorists’ ability to sustain their operations.
Despite operating in difficult and restrictive terrain, troops maintained an aggressive posture throughout the forested areas, effectively denying the bandits freedom of movement. Fleeing elements were intercepted at various blocking positions, leading to the arrest of suspected bandits.
The sustained operations also led to the rescue of several kidnapped victims from different terrorist camps across the state.
Observations from the operations indicate that some bandits receive support from collaborators within neighbouring communities who provide intelligence on troop movements, enabling the criminals to withdraw early from targeted locations. Nevertheless, the successes recorded underscore the resolve, resilience, and operational effectiveness of 2 Division in degrading terrorist elements and restoring security across Kwara State.
Major General Chinedu Nnebife has therefore called on members of the public to continue to provide credible and timely information on bandits and their collaborators to further enhance ongoing operations.
He assured that Operation Igbo Danu remains ongoing and that troops will continue to deal decisively with all terrorist networks operating within Kwara State and its environs.
