The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) recorded significant operational successes across the country in August 2026, neutralising more than 324 terrorists and criminals, arresting 373 suspects and rescuing 610 kidnapped victims in coordinated land, air and maritime operations.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this during the Defence Headquarters’ monthly briefing on ongoing military operations, highlighting the military’s sustained offensive against terrorism, kidnapping, crude oil theft, arms trafficking and other forms of criminality across the six geopolitical zones.
According to him, troops of the various Joint Task Forces maintained aggressive operational pressure on terrorist and criminal networks, resulting in the surrender of 201 insurgents and the recovery of 88 weapons and 2,077 rounds of ammunition.
In the North-East, troops of Operation HADIN KAI neutralised 114 terrorists, arrested 146 suspects and rescued 60 kidnapped victims.
The operation also recorded the surrender of 201 terrorist fighters and their family members following sustained military pressure. Several terrorist camps were destroyed in Borno and Adamawa states, while troops rescued abductees, including women, children and foreign nationals.
Operation FANSAN YAMMA in the North-West recorded the neutralisation of 190 terrorists, the arrest of 47 suspects and the rescue of 126 kidnapped victims.
Troops also disrupted terrorist logistics networks, arrested gunrunners and informants, and conducted clearance operations against terrorist groups operating in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna states.
In the North-Central, Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD rescued 329 kidnap victims, neutralised seven terrorists and arrested four suspects.
A major breakthrough was recorded with the rescue of 308 abducted persons, mostly women and children, from the Kainji Lake National Park.
Similarly, Operation ENDURING PEACE arrested 82 suspects, neutralised five terrorists and rescued 15 kidnap victims across Plateau and adjoining states, while Operation WHIRL STROKE rescued 38 victims, arrested 31 suspects and neutralised three terrorists in Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba states.
In the South-South, troops of Operation DELTA SAFE arrested 43 criminals, rescued 38 civilians and intensified operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining.
During the period, 21 illegal refining sites were dismantled and more than 696,800 litres of stolen petroleum products recovered across Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa and Edo states.
Operation UDO KA in the South-East arrested 20 suspects, neutralised five terrorists and rescued four victims while targeting IPOB/ESN camps, kidnapping syndicates and illegal oil bunkering activities.
The Air Component also contributed to the month’s successes through precision air strikes and reconnaissance missions in Niger State and other theatres. The operations reportedly neutralised terrorists, destroyed logistics hubs and disrupted criminal movements.
Beyond kinetic operations, the military sustained civil-military cooperation activities, including peace-building engagements in Benue State, the donation of educational materials to schools in Borno State, humanitarian support operations with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the commissioning of a solar-powered water project in Surulere, Lagos.
Onoja attributed the improved operational effectiveness recorded in August to intensified military operations, improved intelligence gathering, enhanced inter-agency collaboration and increased pressure on terrorist and criminal networks.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, to sustaining military pressure on terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and economic saboteurs until peace and security are restored across the country.
The Defence Headquarters urged Nigerians to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information, assuring citizens that all reports would be treated confidentially.
The military also commended troops across all theatres of operation and appreciated the support of other security agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders and members of the public in the fight against insecurity.
