The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and the Department of State Services (DSS) have recorded significant operational successes in the first half of 2026, highlighting major breakthroughs against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, arms trafficking and other organised crimes through coordinated security operations across the country.
The achievements were unveiled during a Joint Security Press Briefing held in Abuja, where spokespersons of the nation’s defence, intelligence and security agencies presented their operational scorecards for the period between January and June 2026.
Presenting the Nigeria Police Force’s report, CSP Iniedu Okokon disclosed that the Force recorded substantial operational gains through intelligence-led policing, enhanced inter-agency cooperation and strengthened community partnerships.
He said police operations during the period 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 geopolitical zones recording the highest operational successes.
According to him, 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.
He further revealed that police operatives dismantled a 33-member criminal network involved in terrorism, cattle rustling and violent attacks in Kwara State, while also apprehending the masterminds behind the killing of three police officers in Taraba State.
Among the Force’s notable operational successes, CSP Okokon said police operatives 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.
He also disclosed that police dismantled a transnational kidnap-for-ransom syndicate operating in Ogun State, arresting eight foreign nationals who allegedly staged fake kidnappings to extort ransom from relatives abroad. Additional intelligence-led operations led to the arrest of suspected gunrunners in Bayelsa and Imo States, disrupting illegal arms trafficking networks.
The Police spokesman stated that the Force intensified operations against terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and organised crime across the North-East, North-West, South-West and Middle Belt following intelligence reports indicating increased movement of criminal elements through forest corridors linking Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi States.
He explained that the Force responded by expanding joint operations, conducting forest patrols and strengthening collaboration with the Armed Forces and other security agencies to sustain pressure on insurgent and bandit networks.
On border security, CSP Okokon said enhanced cooperation with the military and INTERPOL led to the arrest of suspected bandit informants in Niger State, the interception of 181 rounds of ammunition destined for criminal groups along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and increased deployment of the INTERPOL I-24/7 platform to combat terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, arms trafficking and other transnational crimes.
He added that the Force dismantled a railway vandalism syndicate operating across Nasarawa, Bauchi and Kwara States, recovering approximately 60 tonnes of vandalised railway materials valued at about ₦400 million, while investigations continue to identify other members of the criminal network.
The Police also strengthened community policing through security summits, 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 counter misinformation.
CSP Okokon said the achievements reflected the Nigeria Police Force’s determination to dismantle criminal networks, secure Nigeria’s borders and critical infrastructure, strengthen public trust and deliver a safer environment for all Nigerians.
Speaking on behalf of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Group Captain K. Ali, disclosed that the military maintained an aggressive operational tempo across all theatres of operation between January and June 2026, recording remarkable successes against terrorists, insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, crude oil thieves and other criminal elements.
According to him, troops conducted 14,221 coordinated land, air and maritime operations during the six-month period, resulting in the rescue of 1,516 hostages and kidnapped victims, while 1,597 terrorists and insurgents were neutralised in various operations across the country.
He stated that the operations also denied criminal groups the resources needed to sustain their activities through the recovery of 451 firearms, 16,726 rounds of ammunition and 161 explosives and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Group Captain Ali explained that military operations were concentrated across major security flashpoints, including Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Katsina, Kwara, Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau, Benue, Niger, Oyo and Kaduna States, where troops confronted terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes through intelligence-driven missions, clearance operations, targeted raids and rescue missions.
He noted that beyond kinetic operations, the Armed Forces intensified non-kinetic engagements to promote peace and strengthen civil-military relations, conducting 33 dialogue and peacebuilding initiatives, 13 public sensitisation campaigns and 33 stakeholder engagement meetings involving traditional rulers, religious leaders and community stakeholders.
Highlighting specific achievements, he disclosed that troops rescued 261 kidnapped victims from terrorist enclaves, neutralised 412 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters, arrested 332 terrorists and safely recovered and detonated 31 Improvised Explosive Devices. He added that sustained military pressure also compelled 132 Boko Haram and ISWAP members to surrender, while troops recovered several weapons, motorcycles and livestock after dismantling terrorist camps.
Group Captain Ali further stated that the Armed Forces sustained proactive strategic communication efforts during the period by issuing 593 press releases, identifying and countering 15 cases of misinformation and releasing 10 public advisories and security warnings aimed at keeping citizens informed.
He reaffirmed the military’s commitment to sustaining operations against terrorism, banditry, separatist violence, crude oil theft and other criminal threats, while urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible intelligence to security agencies.
Also presenting the Department of State Services’ operational report, Favour Dozil disclosed that coordinated intelligence operations conducted between January and June 2026 resulted in the rescue of well over 200 kidnapped victims nationwide, the recovery of thousands of rounds of ammunition and dozens of sophisticated firearms, as well as landmark convictions in several high-profile terrorism and banditry cases.
She explained that DSS operations across more than a dozen states targeted gunrunning syndicates, sea pirates, terrorism financiers and terrorist organisations, including ISWAP and IPOB, as part of sustained efforts to dismantle criminal supply chains and strengthen national security.
According to her, more than 20 coordinated operations led to the arrest of dozens of suspects linked to arms trafficking, sea piracy, terrorism financing and banditry, while operatives recovered over 13,500 rounds of live ammunition, dozens of AK-47 and AK-103 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, a general-purpose machine gun and several locally fabricated firearms.
The Service also foiled a planned hijack of a crude-oil-laden vessel in the Gulf of Guinea following the arrest of two suspected pirates in Bayelsa State.
Among the major rescue operations, Dozil said DSS operatives working with sister security agencies rescued 183 kidnapped victims in Kaduna State, 25 victims in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory and seven victims in Maiduguri, Borno State, while additional rescue operations were carried out across Adamawa, Kano, Edo and Delta States.
She further highlighted significant judicial victories secured by the Service, including death sentences handed down against suspects involved in the Owo church attack, convicted kidnappers in Ekiti and Kogi States, and convicted arms traffickers in Katsina and Sokoto States. The Service also secured prison sentences against individuals linked to terrorism financing and support for terrorist activities.
Dozil noted that beyond security operations, the DSS facilitated peacebuilding efforts, including a peace meeting between Tiv and Fulani communities in Taraba State, while also providing rehabilitation support, vocational assistance and reintegration programmes for rescued kidnap victims and vulnerable youths.
She reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to intensifying intelligence-driven operations against terrorist and criminal networks nationwide while strengthening collaboration with sister security agencies and community stakeholders to sustain rescue operations, promote peace and prevent criminal groups from regrouping.
