The Nigerian Defence Headquarters says the military conducted 7,062 security operations across the country in July and August, neutralising 1,487 terrorists and insurgents and rescuing 777 kidnapped victims.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, said on Tuesday in Abuja at the Joint Security News Briefing by security and law enforcement agencies that the operations were conducted through coordinated land, air and maritime efforts targeting terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, arms trafficking, oil theft and other criminal activities.
He said that troops also arrested 354 suspects, recovered 91 firearms, 1,331 rounds of ammunition and 44 improvised explosive devices during the operations.
According to him, the military’s operations are aimed at degrading criminal capabilities, disrupting logistics networks, rescuing victims and protecting communities and critical national infrastructure.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain committed to defeating all forms of criminality threatening national security,” he said.
Uba said that the troops sustained offensive operations across all six geopolitical zones in response to emerging threats, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and attacks on communities.
He said that the operations also focused on countering separatist violence, disrupting crude oil theft and illegal refining, and dismantling criminal networks and their support structures.
He said that the military recorded significant gains in the North-East, where troops of Operation HADIN KAI neutralised 309 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters and arrested several suspected collaborators and logistics facilitators.
The defence spokesperson said that the troops also rescued hundreds of persons held in terrorist enclaves, while sustained pressure compelled terrorist fighters and their families to surrender in several locations.
He said that the military’s operations in other theatres also resulted in the rescue of hundreds of kidnapped victims and the disruption of terrorist and criminal movements.
He explained that the Armed Forces also recorded notable successes through intelligence-led operations, targeted raids, clearance operations and coordinated rescue missions.
He said that the air component maintained consistent combat support and reconnaissance for ground formations, enhancing the military’s ability to locate and engage hostile elements.
“On the non-kinetic front, nine dialogue and peace-building initiatives were undertaken, alongside 15 stakeholder engagement meetings with traditional and religious leaders,” he said.
GIK/APA