Nigeria’s security agencies have intensified nationwide offensives against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, drug trafficking and other criminal activities, neutralising 435 terrorists and bandits and rescuing 717 kidnapped victims during operations conducted across the country.
The operational gains were disclosed at the Joint Security Press Briefing for September and October 2026, held on Thursday, November 5, at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), where security and law enforcement agencies presented updates on their activities and achievements during the two-month period.
During ghe briefing, it was disclosed that troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria conducted 588 operations, leading to the arrest of 809 suspects, the neutralisation of 435 terrorists and bandits, and the surrender of 198 insurgents. The troops also rescued 717 kidnapped victims and recovered 5,666 assorted arms, ammunition, explosives and improvised explosive devices.
In the fight against economic sabotage, the military destroyed 57 illegal refining sites and recovered more than 1.06 million litres of stolen petroleum products.
The Nigeria Police Force also recorded significant operational successes, arresting 1,519 criminal suspects and neutralising 56 armed criminals. Police operatives rescued 255 kidnapped victims and recovered 191 firearms, 3,873 rounds of live ammunition and 117 vehicles.
Among the notable police operations were the rescue of 30 kidnapped victims in Sokoto State following a gun battle with suspected bandits, the neutralisation of four terrorists after an attack by Boko Haram insurgents in Adamawa State, and the rescue of eight victims, including Reverend Father John Otache, in Benue State.
The Force also arrested a suspected IPOB/ESN operative identified as Amos Andibo, popularly known as “No Joy”, in Imo State, while operations in Anambra State led to the dismantling of cells involved in the production and deployment of improvised explosive devices.
The Department of State Services (DSS) reported the foiling of a mass kidnapping plot in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, where 18 bandits were neutralised and 45 kidnapped victims rescued. The Service also intercepted arms couriers in parts of Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Benue states and dismantled supply networks linked to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and its armed wing.
Beyond counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping operations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intensified its campaign against illicit drugs, recording 397 operations, arresting 3,583 suspects and dismantling 145 drug trafficking syndicates. The agency seized 177,534.46 kilogrammes of assorted illicit substances and secured 396 convictions within the period.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated more than N1.42 trillion in revenue during the two months, while its anti-smuggling operations resulted in seizures with a duty-paid value exceeding N8.1 billion. The Service also rescued six live pangolins from wildlife traffickers.
Similarly, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) arrested 85 suspects and rescued 257 victims of human trafficking. Its operatives also intercepted 14 members of a trafficking syndicate attempting to traffic 116 Nigerians to Ghana, with the intended victims rescued.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) secured 16 convictions and rescued or received 221 trafficking victims through the Abuja and Lagos airports. The agency also intercepted 65 potential victims at the Aminu Kano International Airport and recovered six additional minors in connection with a child trafficking investigation involving more than 300 children from Benue and Nasarawa states.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) reported the arrest of vandals involved in the theft of critical national infrastructure, including more than 15 kilometres of aluminium conductors. The Corps also disclosed that 79 personnel had been sanctioned, with two dismissed over unauthorised firearm engagement linked to the death of Mining Marshals Commander, Levi Agada.
Other agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Federal Fire Service (FFS), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), also reported progress in tackling financial crimes, corruption, illicit financial flows, trafficking and other security-related challenges.
The EFCC disclosed that it secured 10,872 convictions and recovered N1.233 trillion between October 2023 and July 2026, while its collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation led to the arrest and extradition of two suspects facing allegations of sexual exploitation and extortion of minors in the United States.
The NCoS, meanwhile, reported the safe transfer of more than 3,000 high-risk violent extremist offenders without any security breach, alongside the implementation of infrastructure projects and non-custodial measures for 31,234 petty and minor offenders.
The agencies reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing and coordinated operations to sustain pressure on criminal networks and improve national security.
