Troops Annihilate 554 Terrorists, Arrest 1,333 , Rescue 1,736 In 3 Months –DHQ
Nigeria’s Military High Command, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said troops annihilated 554 terrorists/criminals, arrested 1,333 and rescued 1,736 hostages in the third quarter of 2026.
The Director Defence Media Operations Major General Michael Onoja briefing newsmen in Abuja said the period recorded 367 attacks across various theatres of operation.
In the month of September alone, he said troops neutralised 52 terrorists/criminals; arrested 350 terrorist/criminals; rescued 655 kidnapped civilians; while 75 insurgents surrendered.
Troops recovered 52 arms and 2,335 rounds of ammunition; dismantled eight illegal refining sites; and recovered over 304,822 litres of stolen petroleum products.
According to him, the Armed Forces of Nigeria demonstrated sustained capacity in confronting the full spectrum of security challenges facing the nation, from terrorism and banditry in the northern theatres to kidnapping, oil theft and secessionist agitation in the southern theatres.
“The scale of successes recorded for the Third Quarter 2026 ranging from the naturalization of 554 terrorists and criminals; arrest of 1,333 terrorist/criminals; rescue of 1,736 kidnapped civilians; surrender of 333 insurgents; capture of 244 arms and 8,160 rounds of ammunition; dismantling of 104 illegal refining sites; and recovery of 1,610,402 litres of stolen petroleum products represents a significant degradation of criminal and terrorist operational capacity nationwide,” he said.
Onoja giving breakdown of the 367 attacks recorded across various theatres of operation said operation HADIN KAI recorded 33 attacks, Operation FANSAN YAMMA recorded 115, Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD recorded 13, Operation ENDURING PEACE recorded 147, Operation WHIRL STROKE recorded 55, and Operation UDO KA (OPUK) recorded four, while Operation DELTA SAFE recorded no attacks.
He said “troops responded decisively to these incidents, swiftly engaging the assailants with superior firepower and tactical maneuver, and successfully countering the attacks. Through their resolve and professionalism, troops neutralised several of the attackers, forced others to flee, and denied them the opportunity to achieve their objectives.”
He reiterated that all Kinetic operations during the period enhanced security across all theaters of operations and the nation by disrupting terrorist and kidnapping activities, rescuing abducted civilians and protecting communities and key supply routes from attacks.
“Troops also cleared improvised explosive devices, dismantled suspected terrorist camps, recovered arms and ammunition, and prevented planned attacks, thereby improving freedom of movement and strengthening confidence among residents and commuters in affected communities, and protecting critical national infrastructure,” he added.
Explaining the data , he said the 3rd quarter 2026 data shows significant month-to-month fluctuations in operational outcomes.
According to him, from July to August, bandits/criminals killed increased by 171.9 per cent, while arrests declined slightly by 4.2 per cent, civilians rescued by 51.4 per cent, surrendered terrorists by 252.6 per cent, arms recovered by 28.6 per cent , ammunition recovered by 12.5 per cent, and crude oil recovered by 11.0 per cent.
He said these changes reflect the intensity and nature of operational engagements during August.
He continued, “From August to September, most indicators declined from their August peaks, including 85.8 per cent in bandits/criminals killed, 28.3 per cent in arrests, 10.8 per cent in civilians rescued, 62.7 per cent in surrenders, 51.9 per cent in arms recovered, 24.3 per cent in ammunition recovered and 55.6 per cent in crude oil recovered.
“However, the September figures still demonstrate sustained operational activity, with 581 civilians rescued, 345 arrests, 75 surrenders, 52 arms and 2,335 rounds of ammunition recovered, alongside continued efforts to protect national economic resources.
“The variations therefore reflect the changing operational environment while troops maintained their commitment to national security throughout the period.”
