Troops conducting internal security operations across the country killed more than 217 terrorists and other armed criminals in October, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said.
The operations, conducted between September 30 and October 30, also led to the rescue of hundreds of kidnapped victims, the arrest of suspected terrorists and their collaborators, and the surrender of more than 50 terrorist fighters and their family members.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this during the monthly briefing on military operations at the DHQ in Abuja.
He said the military sustained offensives against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, crude oil theft and other criminal activities across the country.
A breakdown of the figures showed that troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East killed 162 terrorists, while Operation Whirl Stroke in the North-Central region neutralised 24.
In the North West, troops of Operation Fansan Yamma killed 18 terrorists, while Operation Enduring Peace recorded six criminal deaths in Kaduna and Plateau states.
Operation Savannah Shield, operating in Kwara and Niger states, neutralised three terrorists, while Operation Udo Ka in the South-East reported two terrorists killed.
In the South-South, troops of Operation Delta Safe killed two criminals during operations against kidnapping, crude oil theft and other security threats.
The figures from the seven operational commands amount to 217 deaths. However, the overall toll could be higher, as the report also documented other engagements without providing a comprehensive casualty count.
One of the major successes recorded during the month, according to Onoja, was the killing of a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Abdussamad Ohida, in Owo Forest, Ondo State, on October 2.
The military identified Ohida as the deputy to the ISWAP leader in Central Nigeria, adding that he had assumed leadership of the group following the arrest of his predecessor by the Department of State Services in 2023.
According to the military, Ohida was involved in planning large-scale attacks on civilians in several states ahead of the forthcoming festive season.
His killing, it said, represented a major setback for the group’s efforts to expand its operational presence in the country.
Onoja also highlighted an encounter in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, where troops repelled an ISWAP attack between October 6 and 7.
He said 25 terrorists were killed during the confrontation, which lasted several hours.
Troops also recovered six AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, 797 rounds of PKT ammunition, three rocket-propelled grenade bombs and an anti-tank bomb.
In Kebbi State, troops of Operation Fansan Yamma repelled an attack by Lakurawa terrorists in Maiyama Local Government Area on October 7.
The attackers, who reportedly arrived on more than 100 motorcycles armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, engaged the troops in a firefight.
Ten terrorists were killed, while the others fled. Troops recovered a machine gun, an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and a communication device.
The military also reported sustained operations against kidnapping networks, with troops rescuing 167 kidnap victims in the North-West alone.
In Katsina State, 27 villagers abducted from Gamji community in Sabuwa Local Government Area were rescued on October 16.
Similarly, troops of Operation Savannah Shield rescued 29 residents in Niger State after responding to a distress call over an attempted abduction of farmers in Magaji Mai Kadarko village, Mariga Local Government Area, on October 15.
“One resident, however, was killed by the attackers before troops arrived,” Onoja said.
In the South East, troops of Operation Udo Ka rescued prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State.
Onoja said the victims were rescued on October 7 following sustained pressure from troops and other security agencies.
“A follow-up operation on October 16 led to the arrest of five suspected members of the kidnapping syndicate and the recovery of three AK-47 rifles, a pistol and 81 rounds of ammunition,” he said.
The military also reported the surrender of more than 50 terrorist fighters and their family members in parts of Borno State during the month.
“The individuals cited hunger, hardship and violent clashes between rival terrorist factions as reasons for abandoning the insurgency,” Onoja said.
He said the October operations demonstrated that armed groups were under pressure from multiple fronts through sustained military offensives, the disruption of supply routes and the dismantling of their logistics and intelligence networks.
