By Odita Sunday
The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) have neutralised 217 terrorists and other criminal elements, arrested 333 suspects and rescued 349 kidnapped civilians in sustained military operations across the country in October 2026.
The troops also recorded the surrender of 70 terrorists, recovered 105 assorted arms and 3,174 rounds of ammunition, destroyed 49 illegal refining sites and recovered 756,837 litres of stolen crude oil and other petroleum products.
The operational successes were recorded across the six geopolitical zones during intensified military offensives against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, illegal arms trafficking and other criminal activities.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Friday during the monthly briefing on ongoing military operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria for October 2026.
Onoja said the military sustained a high tempo of kinetic and non-kinetic operations throughout the month, with troops working alongside the Air Component, other security agencies and local security groups to dismantle terrorist networks, disrupt criminal activities and protect civilians.
He explained that the operations built on previous military offensives, resulting in the neutralisation of terrorist fighters, arrest of criminal suspects, rescue of abducted persons and disruption of logistics, intelligence and arms trafficking networks.
According to him, troops also repelled several determined terrorist attacks across different theatres, particularly in the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions.
One of the major successes recorded during the month was the killing of a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Abdussamad Ohida, in Owo Forest, Ondo State, on October 2.
Onoja disclosed that Ohida was the deputy to the ISWAP leader in Central Nigeria and had assumed leadership responsibilities following the arrest of the group’s leader by the Department of State Services in 2023.
He said the terrorist kingpin was involved in planning large-scale attacks on citizens in several states ahead of the forthcoming festive season, adding that his neutralisation represented a significant setback to ISWAP’s efforts to expand its operational presence in Nigeria.
In the North-East, troops of Operation HADIN KAI recorded some of the most significant operational successes, neutralising 162 terrorists, arresting 98 suspects, rescuing 39 kidnap victims and receiving the surrender of 68 terrorists during the month.
One of the major engagements occurred between October 6 and 7, when ISWAP terrorists attempted to infiltrate Kukawa town in Borno State.
Troops, supported by the Air Component, repelled the attack after several hours of fighting, neutralising 25 terrorists and recovering six AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, 797 rounds of PKT ammunition, three rocket-propelled grenade bombs and an anti-tank bomb.
The military also recorded sustained surrenders by terrorists and their family members in Bama, Dikwa, Gwoza, Konduga, Mafa and Monguno Local Government Areas of Borno State.
Onoja said those who surrendered consistently cited hunger, hardship and violent clashes between rival terrorist factions as reasons for abandoning their camps.
In the North-West, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA neutralised 18 terrorists, arrested 10 suspects, rescued 167 kidnapped persons and recorded the surrender of one terrorist.
A major breakthrough was recorded on October 7 when troops repelled an attempted attack by a large group of Lakurawa terrorists in Maiyama Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The terrorists reportedly arrived on more than 100 motorcycles and were armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
Troops engaged the attackers, neutralising 10 terrorists and forcing others to flee, while recovering a machine gun, an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and a communication device.
The operation also recorded several civilian rescues, including 27 villagers abducted in Gamji Community, Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State, on October 16.
In another operation on October 28, troops ambushed heavily armed terrorists at Ghana Village in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, rescuing nine abducted persons comprising five males and four females.
In the North-Central, troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE sustained operations against kidnapping, banditry and illegal arms trafficking across Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba states.
The operation resulted in the neutralisation of 24 terrorists, arrest of 71 suspects and rescue of 68 kidnapped persons.
Among the significant successes was the rescue of five victims on October 16 after troops ambushed kidnappers conveying them from Kwara State into Kogi State between Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa in Yagba West Local Government Area.
Similarly, troops rescued 11 passengers on October 19 following a pursuit of attackers who had assaulted a commercial bus along the Ayere-Kabba Road in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Also in the North-Central, troops of Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD neutralised three terrorists, arrested three suspects, rescued 29 kidnapped persons and facilitated the surrender of one terrorist during operations across Kwara and Niger states.
Troops rescued 18 kidnapped persons in the Eruku-Egbe-Koro Forest area of Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State on October 10.
In Niger State, troops responded to a distress call on October 15 and rescued 29 residents from nearby bushes after terrorists attempted to abduct farmers at Magaji Mai Kadarko village in Mariga Local Government Area.
The military also recorded arrests of suspected criminal kingpins and accomplices, while continuing operations to dismantle kidnapping networks across the region.
In the South-East, troops of Operation UDO KA neutralised two terrorists, arrested 22 criminal suspects and rescued 33 civilians during operations across Abia, Anambra and Imo states.
A major breakthrough followed the abduction of prospective National Youth Service Corps members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State.
Following sustained pressure from troops and other security agencies, the abducted prospective corps members were rescued at Ndegwu Community in Owerri West Local Government Area on October 7.
A subsequent joint security operation on October 16 led to the arrest of five members of the syndicate in the Irete/Orogwe area of Owerri West, with three AK-47 rifles, an English pistol and 81 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition recovered.
In Anambra State, troops also rescued three persons abducted from the Osakwa area of Ihiala Local Government Area, while a follow-up operation at a terrorist camp in Abator, Ogbaru Local Government Area, neutralised 10 terrorists and led to the recovery of five rifles, three Dane guns, ammunition and materials for fabricating improvised explosive devices.
In the South-South, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE sustained operations against crude oil theft, illegal refining, kidnapping and other criminal activities across Cross River, Edo and Rivers states.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 45 criminal suspects, neutralisation of two criminals, destruction of 49 illegal refining sites and recovery of 756,837 litres of petroleum products in conjunction with Operation DELTA SENTINEL.
Onoja said the achievements reflected sustained efforts by the military to deny economic saboteurs access to facilities used for illegal refining and crude oil theft.
On October 7, troops conducting an anti-illegal oil bunkering operation at Okarki Forest in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State discovered and destroyed three illegal refining sites.
The military also sustained anti-kidnapping operations in Edo State, rescuing an abductee, neutralising suspected kidnappers and recovering locally fabricated firearms.
Beyond kinetic operations, the Armed Forces sustained civil-military cooperation initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of communities and strengthening public confidence in the military.
The Nigerian Navy undertook several community development projects, including the reconstruction of a community hall and provision of solar-powered water facilities in Imo State, perimeter fencing of a community school in Lagos State and installation of an industrial solar-powered borehole and water reticulation system in Osun State.
Similarly, the Nigerian Air Force commissioned primary healthcare facilities, boreholes, a computer-based test laboratory and solar streetlights in communities across Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara and Ogun states.
The Air Force also engaged Amnesty International Nigeria on civilian harm mitigation during air operations, accountability, transparency and compliance with international humanitarian and human rights standards.
Onoja said the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede, commended troops for their resilience and operational commitment across the various theatres.
The CDS urged personnel to remain disciplined, uphold the rules of engagement and respect human rights while sustaining pressure on terrorists and other criminal elements.
He also called on security agencies to deepen intelligence sharing and joint operational planning, while urging traditional rulers, community leaders, youths and other stakeholders to provide timely information on suspicious activities.
The military further appealed to Nigerians to reject mob action, deny criminals safe havens and report security threats to the nearest military formation or through the toll-free line 193.
The Armed Forces, however, acknowledged the loss of civilian lives in terrorist attacks in Binari, Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, on October 23, extending condolences to the affected families and assuring that efforts would be sustained to apprehend those responsible.
The military disclosed that 98 attacks were recorded across the various operational theatres during the period under review, with troops responding decisively and repelling the attacks.
Onoja reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ determination to sustain offensive operations, disrupt terrorist and criminal networks and deny them freedom of action across the country.
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