The Nigerian Armed Forces have recorded major operational gains across the country, killing 662 terrorists and criminal elements, arresting 1,084 suspects and rescuing 951 kidnapped victims during the second quarter of 2026.
The military disclosed the figures during a press briefing in Abuja, describing the achievements as evidence of intensified intelligence-led operations targeting terrorist networks, kidnappers, arms traffickers and other criminal groups.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the successes were achieved through coordinated land and air operations conducted across multiple theatres nationwide.
According to him, troops significantly weakened the operational capabilities of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and other criminal groups threatening national security.
The North-East remained the most active theatre of operations, accounting for 484 terrorists neutralised, 370 arrests and 595 rescued victims under Operation Hadin Kai.
Among the notable achievements was the rescue of 360 civilians, mostly women and children, during military raids in the Mandara Mountains area of Borno State.
In the North-West, troops operating under Operation Fansan Yamma eliminated 77 terrorists, arrested 210 suspects and rescued 153 kidnapped victims while disrupting arms trafficking and logistics networks supporting criminal gangs.
The military also reported significant successes in the North-Central region, where 83 terrorists were killed, 305 suspects arrested and 183 victims rescued during various operations.
In the South-East, targeted intelligence operations led to the arrest of key IPOB and ESN operatives, recovery of weapons and explosives, and the rescue of kidnapped victims.
Meanwhile, troops in the South-South dismantled illegal refining sites and recovered more than 464,000 litres of stolen petroleum products in a crackdown on oil theft and economic sabotage.
Onoja noted that the large number of arrests compared to fatalities reflects a strategic shift towards dismantling criminal support structures, including financiers, informants, logistics suppliers and collaborators.
He said the Armed Forces remain committed to restoring peace and stability across all regions of the country while sustaining pressure on criminal networks.
The latest figures underscore the military’s ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity through a combination of kinetic operations, intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration.
