The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has sustained an aggressive nationwide offensive against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent criminality, recording significant operational successes across all theatres of operation between January and June 2026.
Speaking during the Joint Security Press Briefing, Group Captain K. Ali, disclosed that troops conducted 14,221 coordinated land, air and maritime operations during the six-month period, targeting terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, arms traffickers, crude oil thieves and other criminal elements across the country.
He said the sustained operations led to the rescue of 1,516 hostages and kidnapped victims, while 1,597 terrorists and insurgents were neutralised. Troops also recovered 451 firearms, 16,726 rounds of ammunition and 161 explosives and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), significantly degrading the operational capabilities of criminal groups operating across the country.
According to him, military operations were concentrated in major security flashpoints, including Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo and Kaduna States, where intelligence-driven operations, clearance missions, targeted raids and rescue operations disrupted criminal activities and improved security in affected communities.
Beyond kinetic operations, Group Captain Ali said the Armed Forces intensified non-kinetic engagements through 33 dialogue and peacebuilding initiatives, 13 public sensitisation campaigns and 33 stakeholder engagement meetings with traditional rulers, religious leaders and community stakeholders to strengthen civil-military relations.
Highlighting some of the military’s major operational achievements, he disclosed that troops rescued 261 kidnapped victims from terrorist enclaves, neutralised 412 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters, arrested 332 terrorists, recovered and safely detonated 31 Improvised Explosive Devices, while sustained military pressure forced 132 Boko Haram and ISWAP members to surrender. Troops also recovered several weapons, motorcycles and livestock after dismantling terrorist operational bases.
On strategic communication, noted that the Armed Forces issued 593 press releases, countered 15 cases of misinformation and released 10 public advisories and security warnings to keep Nigerians informed of ongoing operations.
Reaffirming the military’s commitment to sustaining the offensive against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence, crude oil theft and other criminal threats, he urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and actionable intelligence to security agencies.
Corroborating the military’s operational gains through intelligence-led interventions, the Department of State Services (DSS) disclosed that its coordinated operations with sister security agencies also yielded significant breakthroughs during the review period.
Presenting the Service’s report, Favour Dozil said the DSS rescued well over 200 kidnapped victims nationwide between January and June 2026, recovered thousands of rounds of ammunition and dozens of firearms, and secured convictions in several high-profile terrorism and banditry-related cases.
She explained that operations carried out across more than a dozen states targeted gunrunning networks, sea piracy, terrorism financing and terrorist groups, including ISWAP and IPOB, leading to the arrest of dozens of suspects and the recovery of more than 13,500 rounds of live ammunition, AK-47 and AK-103 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, a general-purpose machine gun and several locally fabricated firearms.
Among the Service’s notable achievements was the foiling of a planned hijack of a crude-oil-laden vessel in the Gulf of Guinea following the arrest of two suspected pirates in Bayelsa State.
Dozil further disclosed that one of the largest rescue operations during the period led to the rescue of 183 kidnapped victims in Kaduna State, while separate operations recovered 25 victims in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory and seven others in Maiduguri, Borno State. Additional rescue operations were also conducted in Adamawa, Kano, Edo and Delta States.
She also highlighted several landmark judicial victories secured by the DSS, including death sentences handed down against suspects involved in the Owo church attack, convicted kidnappers in Ekiti and Kogi States, convicted arms traffickers in Katsina and Sokoto States, as well as prison terms secured against individuals convicted of aiding terrorism and terrorism financing.
Beyond security operations, she said the Service facilitated peacebuilding initiatives, including a peace meeting between Tiv and Fulani communities in Taraba State, while also supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of rescued kidnap victims and vulnerable youths through vocational assistance and community engagement programmes.
Dozil reaffirmed the DSS’s commitment to intensifying operations against criminal and terrorist networks while sustaining collaboration with sister security agencies and community stakeholders to strengthen national security.
Also presenting its operational scorecard, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) announced significant gains recorded through intelligence-led policing and enhanced inter-agency collaboration during the first half of 2026.
Presenting the report, CSP Iniedu Okokon disclosed that police operations resulted in the arrest of thousands of criminal suspects, the rescue of numerous kidnapped victims and the recovery of a large cache of firearms, ammunition and other criminal exhibits, with the South-South, North-Central and North-West recording the highest operational successes.
He stated that operatives of the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team arrested 50 suspects linked to terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery, recovering 17 rifles, one anti-aircraft launcher, 111 rounds of ammunition and several communication devices.
The Police spokesman further revealed that operatives dismantled a 33-member criminal network involved in terrorism, cattle rustling and violent attacks in Kwara State and apprehended the kingpins responsible for the murder of three police officers in Taraba State.
Among the Force’s major operational successes, he said police rescued Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons during a late-night rescue operation on June 6, neutralising two kidnappers and recovering two firearms.
Okokon added that police dismantled a transnational kidnap-for-ransom syndicate in Ogun State, arresting eight foreign nationals involved in staging fake kidnappings to extort ransom from relatives abroad, while intelligence-led operations also led to the arrest of suspected gunrunners in Bayelsa and Imo States.
He said the Force intensified operations against terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and organised crime across the North-East, North-West, South-West and Middle Belt following intelligence indicating increased movement of criminal elements through forest corridors linking Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi States.
The Police also strengthened border security through collaboration with the Armed Forces and INTERPOL, leading to the arrest of suspected bandit informants in Niger State, the interception of 181 rounds of ammunition along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and the dismantling of a railway vandalism syndicate operating across Nasarawa, Bauchi and Kwara States, where approximately 60 tonnes of vandalised railway materials valued at about ₦400 million were recovered.
Okokon added that the Force expanded community policing through stakeholder engagements and sensitisation programmes involving traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups and community stakeholders while sustaining proactive public engagement through regular press briefings and digital communication platforms to improve transparency and effectively counter misinformation.
He said the achievements underscored the Nigeria Police Force’s determination to dismantle criminal networks, secure the nation’s borders and critical infrastructure, strengthen community partnerships and deliver a safer and more secure environment for all Nigerians.
