The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) neutralised 554 terrorists and criminals, arrested 1,333 others and rescued 1,736 kidnapped civilians during military operations across the country in the third quarter of 2026.
The Defence Headquarters disclosed this on Wednesday at its combined monthly and third-quarter media briefing in Abuja, adding that 333 insurgents also surrendered during the period. Troops recovered 244 arms and 8,160 rounds of ammunition, dismantled 104 illegal refining sites and recovered 1.61 million litres of stolen petroleum products.
For September alone, the AFN reported 52 terrorists and criminals neutralised, 350 arrests, 655 rescued civilians and 75 insurgents who surrendered. Troops also recovered 52 arms and 2,335 rounds of ammunition, destroyed eight illegal refining sites and recovered 304,822 litres of stolen petroleum products.
The Defence Headquarters said troops recorded 367 attacks across the theatres during the period, with Operation Enduring Peace recording the highest at 147, followed by Operation Fansan Yamma with 115 and Operation Whirl Stroke with 55. Operation Hadin Kai recorded 33 attacks, Savannah Shield 13, Udo Ka four, while Delta Safe recorded none.
It said the operations disrupted terrorist, kidnapping and arms-trafficking networks, rescued abducted civilians, cleared improvised explosive devices and degraded illegal oil-refining activities. The DHQ also commended troops and other security agencies for their sacrifices and urged Nigerians to continue providing credible information through the toll-free 193 line.
During the quarter, the AFN said Operation Hadin Kai alone neutralised 273 terrorists, arrested 348 and rescued 297 kidnapped victims, while Operation Fansan Yamma recorded 230 terrorists neutralised, 147 arrests and 508 rescued victims.
