The Defence Headquarters, (DHQ) has disclosed that troops neutralized 317 terrorists, arrested 314 suspects and rescued 221 kidnapped victims in their various theatres of operations across the country in the 2nd quarter of the year.
The Director of Media Operations, (DMO) Major General Micheal Onoja disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the activities of the armed forces saying that the troops maintained a relentless posture until the perpetrators are brought to account and the security of the region is completely restored.
He said: “In the North East, 73 insurgents were killed, 159 suspects arrested, 112 kidnapped victims rescued and 18 repentant terrorists surrendered to the troops.”
He said during the period, troops of Operation HADIN KAI maintained offensive operations against Boko Haram/ISWAP remnants in Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe States, with a compelling succession of operational successes.
During 15th – 25th May 2026, he said, the troops observed a sharp acceleration in clearance operations and an unprecedented surge in voluntary terrorist surrenders, which powerfully illustrated the irreversible erosion of insurgent morale under relentless military pressure.
Also, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA recorded encounters with armed terrorists in Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States during the period, severely degrading hostile networks through aggressive offensive action and precision intelligence operations.
He said a total of 24 insurgents were neutralized, 13 arrested and 22 civilians rescued.
On Operation ENDURING PEACE, he said troops demonstrated relentless operational drive across Plateau and parts of Bauchi, Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna and Nasarawa States during the period, recording landmark results in the neutralisation of kidnapping networks and the elimination of dangerous criminal infrastructure embedded within civilian communities.
He said 9 terrorists were killed, 36 arrested and 15 civilians rescued.
He said that after the arrest of two kidnappers in Qua’an Pan LGA of Plateau State on 29 April, a targeted follow-up operation neutralised four other gang members in their hideout.
Also, a suspect was arrested along the Abaji-Kwali expressway in Abuja with 250 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition concealed in the engine compartment of a vehicle.
He said the arrest exposed the well thought out mechanisms for trafficking illegal arms within the country.
“Troops of Operation DELTA SAFE conducted a multi-domain offensive across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers States throughout the period, dismantling kidnapping networks and criminal economic saboteurs targeting Nigeria’s petroleum infrastructure.
“In all, 14 criminals were arrested, 3 illegal refining sites were destroyed and 21, 910 litres of assorted petroleum products were recovered.
Complementing the humanitarian efforts, the Nigerian Army, through Operation FANSAN YAMMA, donated 400 bags of fertiliser to farming communities in Maru LGA of Zamfara State on 13 May 2026 in a timely and impactful intervention to boost food production and to enhance civil-military relations ahead of the 2026 farming season.
“ The Nigerian Army reaffirmed the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to improving community livelihoods through non-kinetic initiatives that run parallel with active security operations at a distribution ceremony held at the palace of the Emir of Maru,” he said.
Troops were praised for their gallantry and Nigerians were urged to provide timely intelligence information to sustain the gains.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday reserved judgment in the trial of five men accused of being involved in the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State that killed 41 worshippers.
Justice Nwite adjourned judgment to a date to be communicated to the parties after counsel to the prosecution and defence adopted their final written addresses.
The judge told lawyers the court would let them know when the judgment was ready, adding that the notice could arrive within 24 hours.
In his final address, counsel to the Department of State Services, Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), called on the court to convict the defendants and sentence them to death, the maximum punishment for the offence allegedly committed, because of the gravity of the offence.
But counsel to the defendants, Abdullahi Mohammad, prayed the court to discharge and acquit his clients, saying the prosecution failed to establish its case against them.
The defendants are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, Al Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris and Momoh Otuho Abubakar.
The DSS had called 11 witnesses to prove the allegations against the suspects in the trial which began on August 1, 2025.
The court had earlier allowed the defendants’ confessional statements after a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether the statements were made voluntarily.
Also, more than 140 persons were injured in the attack. At the commencement of the trial, the DSS had sought and obtained an accelerated hearing of the case.
