The Nigerian Army has stepped up its nationwide operations against terrorists and criminal groups, rescuing 17 kidnapped victims, arresting 20 suspects, and neutralising two terrorists within the last 48 hours.
In a statement posted on its official X handle on Saturday, the Army said the coordinated missions were conducted across the North-East, North-West, North-Central, and South-South regions.
According to the statement, troops of 192 Battalion in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force engaged ISWAP and Boko Haram fighters in a fierce battle at Hudugum Village, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, killing two insurgents in the process.
The Army also revealed that three terrorists — Fannami Ari (aka Abu Dujana), Hussaini Hassan Modu (aka Abu Yusuf), and another trainee — surrendered to troops in Kukawa and Damboa Local Government Areas, citing frustration with their leaders and poor living conditions in their camps.
In the North-West, troops of 1 Brigade foiled two kidnap attempts in Zamfara State, rescuing 11 victims along the Magami–Jan Gemi and Kucheri–Bilbis routes.
“The rescued victims have since been reunited with their families, while troops continue aggressive patrols and clearance operations to deny terrorists freedom of movement and disrupt their supply routes,” the Army said.
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In the North-Central zone, troops under Operations Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke carried out coordinated clearance raids across Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States, arresting 15 suspects linked to cultism, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and communal violence. Four kidnapped persons were also rescued.
Similarly, troops operating in the South-South discovered and dismantled two illegal oil-refining sites in Biseni, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, and seized 62 sacks of stolen crude oil — estimated at over 3,000 litres — in Ohaji/Egbema, Imo State.
The Army reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the country’s sovereignty, stating that it remains “resolute and unrelenting in pursuing all adversaries of the state and safeguarding the territorial integrity of Nigeria.”
