More than 60 kidnapped victims have regained their freedom while 44 suspects were arrested as Nigerian military troops intensified operations against terrorists, kidnappers, arms traffickers and other criminal groups across the country.
The operations, conducted between September 18 and 24, 2026, covered several states and resulted in the rescue of victims, recovery of weapons and ammunition, arrests of suspected collaborators and the surrender of terrorists and their family members.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed the figures on Saturday while briefing defence correspondents on the latest military operations across the country.
According to Onoja, one of the major breakthroughs came in Kebbi State, where a Nigerian Air Force aircraft disrupted the movement of terrorists transporting a large number of kidnapped victims around Bazama in Sakaba Local Government Area.
The air operation reportedly forced the terrorists to abandon their captives, allowing more than 60 victims to escape. Ground troops subsequently rescued additional victims in Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
Among those rescued were 17 victims along the Isa-Kwanar Isa axis in Sokoto State and seven university students who had been abducted along the Daye-Malumfashi road in Katsina State.
Onoja also disclosed that troops rescued five other victims, including the Executive Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, from terrorist captivity at Sekpore village in Kaura Namoda.
The military operation also recorded developments in Borno State, where troops intercepted 44 members of terrorist families at Konduga in Bama Local Government Area.
The group consisted of 13 women and 31 children who reportedly fled terrorist camps amid clashes between rival factions operating in the area.
In another development, more than 20 terrorist fighters and their family members surrendered to troops in Gwoza, Dikwa and Ngala local government areas of Borno.
Onoja said some of those who surrendered cited severe hardship and a lack of basic necessities in terrorist enclaves around the Mandara Mountains as reasons for abandoning the groups.
Beyond the rescue operations, troops also targeted the support networks allegedly sustaining terrorist and kidnapping activities, arresting suspected informants, collaborators, logistics suppliers and kidnappers in different parts of the country.
In Yobe State, troops arrested a suspected terrorist collaborator and an alleged spy at Geidam market, while another suspected kidnapper was arrested in Gubio, Borno State.
The suspect subsequently led security personnel to Ardimini village, where troops recovered an AK-47 rifle and a magazine loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition.
In Sokoto State, four suspected members of a terrorist group were arrested while allegedly transporting rustled cattle near Illela.
Another three suspects were apprehended in Faskari, Katsina State, over allegations that they were conveying ₦2.7 million allegedly intended for a suspected terrorist kingpin.
The military also sustained operations across the North-Central under Operation Whirl Stroke, with troops conducting operations against kidnapping and arms trafficking networks in Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba states.
Two suspected kidnappers were arrested along the Otukpo-Makurdi road in Benue State, where troops also recovered a rifle and ammunition. Another suspected gunrunner was arrested in Kwande.
In Bauchi State, troops working alongside Forest Guards ambushed suspected kidnappers at Kudu Yamma in Ningi Local Government Area.
Three suspected kidnappers were killed during the operation, while six kidnap victims were rescued. A rifle and ammunition were also recovered from the scene.
Plateau State also recorded arrests as troops operating under Operation Enduring Peace raided suspected hideouts of a kidnapping syndicate in Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills.
Eleven suspects were arrested during the raids, with four reportedly identified by victims as alleged members of the syndicate linked to their abductions.
In the South-East, troops under Operation Udo Ka engaged suspected secessionist terrorists at Obibi Forest in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
The suspects reportedly fled the area, abandoning a general-purpose machine gun, a rifle, ammunition and a motorcycle.
Troops also arrested a suspected informant during the operation and rescued a woman who had allegedly been abducted about two months earlier from her hairdressing salon in Orsu.
The series of operations, according to the Defence Headquarters, reflects the military's continued efforts to disrupt terrorist networks, dismantle kidnapping operations and cut off the sources of weapons, funding, intelligence and logistics supporting criminal groups.
Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, commended the troops for their efforts and urged them to maintain pressure on criminal elements across the country.
He also appealed to members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies, stressing the importance of community cooperation in identifying and disrupting criminal networks.
The latest operations have meanwhile produced a combination of military gains, including rescued victims, arrests, weapons recoveries and defections, as security forces continue efforts to confront the country's persistent terrorism and kidnapping threats.
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