By Nkechi Eze
The Armed Forces of Nigeria have neutralised a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander in Ondo State and killed 25 terrorists during an unsuccessful attack on Kukawa town in Borno State, as troops sustained nationwide operations against terrorism, banditry and other criminal activities.
The operations, conducted between October 2 and 8, 2026, also led to the rescue of 20 abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Imo State, the recovery of arms and ammunition, and the arrest of suspected terrorist collaborators across several states.
According to an official statement signed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, troops of Operation HADIN KAI, supported by the Air Component, repelled an ISWAP assault on Kukawa town on the night of October 6.
The engagement lasted several hours and extended into the morning of October 7, with troops neutralising 25 terrorists.
The military said troops recovered six AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, 797 rounds of PKT ammunition, three rocket-propelled grenade bombs, an anti-tank bomb and other equipment during the operation.
In a related operation in Yobe State, troops foiled a terrorist attack on Abakurari village in Geidam Local Government Area on October 5, neutralising one terrorist and recovering an AK-47 rifle.
The military also reported successes in disrupting terrorist support networks and rescuing abducted persons across the North-East. On October 4, troops rescued two female abductees around the Kuranabasa axis of Gwoza Local Government Area in Borno State, alongside three escapees from terrorist captivity who were subsequently handed over to Cameroonian security forces at Kirawa.
On October 8, troops rescued three abductees who had reportedly spent seven years in captivity around Armuda, as well as three other abductees in the Gava area of Gwoza Local Government Area.
The operations also resulted in the arrest of suspected terrorist collaborators, logistics suppliers and smugglers in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
In another major development, a combined team of security forces neutralised several terrorists, including a senior ISWAP commander, Abdussamad Ohida, during an operation in Owo Forest, Ondo State, on October 2.
According to the Defence Media Operations statement, Ohida was the deputy to the ISWAP leader in Central Nigeria and had assumed leadership of the group following the leader’s arrest by the Department of State Services in 2023.
The statement said further investigations revealed that the commander had been planning large-scale attacks against citizens in some southern states ahead of the forthcoming festive season.
His neutralisation, the military said, represented a setback to ISWAP’s efforts to expand its operational presence in the country.
Meanwhile, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA repelled an attack by Lakurawa terrorists in Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi State on October 7.
The terrorists, reportedly operating on more than 100 motorcycles and armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, engaged troops before retreating. Ten terrorists were neutralised, while troops recovered 17 motorcycles, a machine gun, an AK-47 rifle, assorted ammunition and a communication device.
In Katsina State, troops working with local security personnel rescued 18 kidnap victims unharmed in Unguwan Hudu village, Bakori Local Government Area. A seven-year-old boy abducted from Dogon Dawa village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State was also rescued at Tsakiya village in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Across the North-Central, troops recovered a fabricated sub-machine gun pistol and ammunition during operations against suspected arms traffickers in Taraba State. Troops also arrested suspected kidnappers in Kaduna State and a wanted suspected terrorist in Niger State, while three persons who escaped from their abductors were rescued in a forest in Kwara State.
In the South-South, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE discovered three illegal refining sites in Okarki Forest, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, on October 7. The troops also uncovered a stockpile of suspected stolen Premium Motor Spirit estimated at 2,500 litres in Eleme Local Government Area.
The military further recorded a major rescue operation in Imo State, where troops of Operation UDO KA rescued the 20 prospective corps members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway at the Umunoha axis of Mbaitoli Local Government Area on October 1.
A local woman abducted while travelling to the market was also rescued at Ndegwu community in Owerri West Local Government Area on October 7.
The Defence Media Operations statement said troops and other security agencies had intensified pressure on the abductors, adding that operations were ongoing to locate and arrest those responsible.
Beyond combat operations, the Armed Forces also strengthened collaboration with humanitarian organisations in the North-East. On October 8, a delegation led by the Deputy Head of Office of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Mrs Patricia Mucheche, visited the Theatre Headquarters of Operation HADIN KAI in Maiduguri to discuss cooperation on humanitarian activities and civilian protection.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, commended troops for their courage and professionalism, while paying tribute to personnel who lost their lives in the defence of the country.
Oluyede urged troops to remain vigilant and disciplined, particularly as the festive season approaches, and called on security agencies to sustain information sharing and joint planning.
He also cautioned the media against publishing unverified information or sensitive operational details that could undermine ongoing military operations.
The CDS warned terrorist collaborators, informants, logistics suppliers and gunrunners that security forces would continue efforts to track them down. He also urged traditional rulers, community leaders and citizens to report individuals suspected of aiding criminal activities.
The Armed Forces, he said, would sustain the current operational tempo until peace and security were restored across the country.
